But It's Warm in Here
by The Nearly Missed
Summary: A collection of M&M oneshots describing numerous ways the two legendary Wammy Boys could have come out of the closet to each other. Rated T for language. Yaoi aplenty!
1. I'm Not

Homosexuality is something that's being debated absolutely all the time these days. Some frown upon it, some love gays. Then there are the people who just don't give a fuck. Those are people like me, Matt. People like me don't give a flying frig what your lover's got between their legs. It's insane how pushy and invasive people can be, saying things like, "But how do you have sex?!" and "That's just disgusting," when they give them the answer.

It's not disgusting. It's natural.

How would I know? Oh, right, I'm one of those people.

I've always liked guys. Girls were always too annoying, too pokey, too snobby or too snarky. The only girl I ever really hung out with was Linda, and that's only because she refused to leave me alone and she eventually grew on me. She once tried to kiss me, but I pushed her away, even at fourteen—in the swing of the stereotypical horny pubescent boy stage. She gave me the cold shoulder for a little while, but it was worth it, not dragging her along only to dump her when I finally came out of the closet.

I don't know what's stopped me from letting it loose. It's not as if I'm embarrassed to say, _"I'd love to fuck my future boyfriend up the ass."_ No, nothing like that. It's more like I don't want everyone to make a big stink over it, having people come up to me and ask me to quell their own curiosity, "Are you gay?" You know, because every single damned orphan in this school won't be talking about it within the first hour.

That, and people will be asking me the most obvious question for someone who watched me interact with the only two people I ever talked to at Wammy's:

"_Are you gay for Mello?"_

Yes. Okay, fucking yes. I have a fetish for Mister Goldilocks of Winchester himself. And that's not sarcasm, either. I would legitimately attach my mouth to his if ever given the chance. Well, you know, with his consent. Everyone knows that you never, _ever_ do something to Mello he doesn't like. That gets you a punch in the face. I don't know if he'd like that or not, but I've been dropping hints on him for a while now. If that genius brain of his doesn't kick on and start working soon, I don't know how long I'll be able to last.

He just doesn't seem to get it.

I compliment his hair. Some gruff "Thanks?" and further ignorance.

I compliment his skin. Another gruff "uh, thanks?" and further ignorance.

I compliment his _fucking shoes,_ the one sure sign that someone is gay. Guess what? Yet another gruff "Sure, thanks," and further ignorance.

Every single time I drop a damn hint right on his head like a rotten egg, he just brushes it off and doesn't even smell the stench. It's infuriating.

Unless he didn't like me back and just wanted to let me down easily.

Which was why I was absolutely terrified when Mello stalked up to me and plopped himself down across from me at lunch one day, with the heart rate-raising, simple statement, "Matt, we need to talk."

I almost dropped my GameBoy. Button mashing till I could save, I managed to keep a relatively cool exterior. About as cool as someone as hot as me could get, that is. "Yeah, sure, go for it."

"You've been acting really weird lately. Like some squealing teenaged girl."

My heart was thudding in my throat. I could have sworn Mello could hear it from his four feet away.

He continued. "Are you fucking gay or something?"

My face flushed bright red, far beyond my cool kid poker face skills. My GameBoy spilled onto the table as I sputtered, leaning forward slightly, "Uh, no, why in the hell would you think that—I'm into girls not guys, come on Mels—"

"Cut the shit, Matt." He slammed his hand down over my handheld game system and pushed it to the side. I became aware of the many stares the other kids were giving us, and I could hear in the slight pause in Mello's voice that the entire lunchroom had gone awkwardly silent. We were the main event in this circus.

His hands slammed down on the table in front of me, dangerously close to knocking my barely touched plate of spaghetti into the air. "Let's get something _straight_," he boomed, his voice rising intimidatingly.

I cowered. I hate to admit it, but I _fucking cowered_ from my best friend slash wannabe boyfriend.

The vein in his neck pulsed as he stood halfway up. I braced myself for his loud voice directly in my face telling me to fuck off and that he was straight and to stop hitting on him.

Strangely enough, it didn't come.

"I'm not."

I blinked. "Wait, wha…?" My eyebrow raised before I realized what he had just said. _"Let's get something straight. I'm not." _Simultaneously, he fisted the collar of my T-shirt and jerked me forward, slamming my face into his.

He was kissing me.

_ Mello was fucking kissing me._

This was the absolute best moment of my life so far.

The entire lunchroom erupted into a mixture of cringes, cheers, and laughter. I ignored them, happily lost in the boy's lips that were currently atop my own.

Finally.

X

As predicted, we received a lot of that "So you guys are really gay, huh?" and other similar questions for the following few weeks. I tried to ignore them as much as possible and let Mello answer whenever he was with me. Still, I was left as that center of attention I know I never wanted to be.

But you know what?

_It was fucking worth it._

* * *

**A/N: **This is going to be fun!

This entire fic will be a collection of oneshots of different ways Matt and Mello could come out of the closet to each other. So, in other words, if you don't like yaoi, you're in for a lot of it here. ;)

This will be my side project for the next month while NaNoWriMo is going on. I guess this will be my stress relief and writing booster whenever I get tired of my story. :3

Thanks so much for reading, and I really hope you enjoyed!

Reviews always make my day, and remind me to update quicker. ;)

Thanks again!

~Rachel


	2. Honor to Us All

It was storming, just like so many other nights in the damp climate of Winchester, England. It was nights like these when the nightmares of countless children returned to haunt them in their sleep. Matt was no exception.

The fourteen-year-old hacker was as stoic as could be in his waking hours. He could openly speak of his parents' deaths as if he was talking about programming a computer, conversationally, without batting an eyelash.

But in the night, especially when thunder booms and lightning strikes, the flashbacks of the car crash, of his six-year-old self trapped in the car between the two carcasses that were recently his parents became too much for him to handle. Memories of his own screams resonated in his eardrums until the stony, careless boy was reduced to weak sobs, curled up in fetal position beneath his tangle of sheets and blankets.

The first time it happened was when Matt had first come to the orphanage. He had been assigned to room with the angry blonde boy, Mello. For a week straight, the soundtrack of their nights was the muffled cries of the broken redheaded child.

By the seventh night, Mello had had enough. He couldn't sleep with the kid next to him making such a racket, albeit a quiet one. He tried yelling at Matt to shut up, but that only made him curl up tighter and cry harder. Mello could only sigh and roll out of bed. He sat down beside the round figure that was his roommate and gingerly placed a hand on his side. Matt just rolled away. With another sigh, he resorted to reasoning with him, trying to convince him in a soothing voice to calm down. He was completely ignored.

Finally, on the brink of tears himself, Mello fell onto the bed beside Matt, letting out an exasperated whimper, "Please, just stop crying." He pulled his feet up, wrapping himself around the shape of his sobbing friend. They fit together like spoons in a drawer of utensils. Mello squeezed him around the waist and whispered tiredly, "Please."

To his somewhat surprise, Matt's weeping slowed, the intensity dropping exponentially until, with one final shaking inhale, it stopped. Mello smiled faintly into the blanket and nuzzled his nose into the redhead's back.

Over the years, every time storms brought back those memories, Mello would wordlessly crawl into bed beside his roommate, and his crying quickly halted each time. It came to the point when the first flash of lightning blinked in the glass of their window, the blonde was already there, side-by-side with his now best friend. Matt flipped himself around, pressing his forehead against Mello's, and they hugged tightly, the blonde's grip intensifying with every loud boom of thunder.

This time, at fourteen years old, the pair hadn't grown out of the tradition. When the bass of thunder trembled in their chests, Mello instinctively threw the blankets back. His feet dropped onto the cold floor, traversing quickly the small space between their beds. Only slightly awake, Mello slipped between the sheets, fitting into his usual spot with his friend.

Matt, eyes closed, dropped his head forward into the crook of his shoulder. He sighed, eyebrows drawing together as he attempted to block out the flashbacks. Mello craned his neck around Matt's, resting his lips against the side of his neck. He licked his lips, and his tongue slipped over the redhead's skin. There was a sharp intake of breath and a small whisper, "Do that again."

Only a little bit confused, Mello ran his tongue up Matt's neck again. He shivered, grinning. "They're gone. The memories go away when you do that." His voice was hoarse as he swallowed hard, dissolving the lump in his throat.

"Well that's good, then," He murmured, soft lips moving slightly against Matt's hot flesh. Once more, his tongue slipped out of his mouth, running from the pit of his unprotected throat, over his Adam's apple and up under his chin. All the while, Matt reveled in the feeling, grinning as the screams faded from his mind. He tilted his head down impulsively and Mello's lips brushed his own.

There was no pause before Mello pressed his lips against Matt's fully. The redhead responded easily, as if this had been normal throughout his entire life, when in reality, the blonde entangled in him was stealing away his virgin kiss. Matt only cracked open his mouth as Mello tugged at his bottom lip between his teeth.

As naturally as could be, their tongues escaped their mouths and mingled together in a sensual dance.

_It just feels right, _Matt decided. Unbeknownst to him, the same thought flashed through Mello's head simultaneously.

And there they sat, exchanging passionate, previously restricted kisses, until exhaustion overtook them both. Completely knotted with each other in every way, they fell into a deep sleep, void of nightmares. A small grin laid on both of their otherwise at repose face.

x

The next day, they arose and prepared for their school day just as any other. When Mello wasn't looking, Matt was shooting him furtive glances, wondering as loudly as he could if the previous night would be mentioned, or if it even really happened at all. Mello, watching from the corner of his eyes, mirrored his glances, the same baffling thoughts running through their heads.

Matt took a deep breath, halfway through slipping a striped shirt over his bare chest. "So," he sighed, setting the hem of the T-shirt on his hips. "Did last night happen or was I dreaming?"

Without looking up from fumbling with his belt, Mello spoke softly, "It happened."

"So, does that mean we're...?" The question hung unfinished in the air between them. Though unspoken, the rest of the sentence was obvious to both of them.

"Do you love me?"

"Yeah. Do you?"

"Yes."

A small silence punctuated their nonchalant admittance.

"Then I guess we are."

* * *

**A/N: **I was going to wait a little longer to publish the next chapter, so I wouldn't get people's hopes up for often updates, but this idea wouldn't leave me alone until it was down on paper (virtually or otherwise). So, you get this. :D

It's really touching, especially to me, for my own personal reasons.

What do you think? Creative criticism is amazingly helpful. ;)

Thank you for reading, and I genuinely hope you enjoyed this chapter. :)

~Rachel


	3. Dragged

"I'm off to the library. Don't bug me," Mello said, grabbing his messenger bag from the hook beside the door. "And don't do anything illegal or gross in here while I'm gone, okay?" The blonde set his hips and glared at the two kids sitting on the bottom bunk. Matt and Linda glanced at each other, eyebrows raising together.

Linda turned and smirked at Mello anyway. "No guarantees." She winked, twitching her brow.

With a warning growl, Mello took an angry bite of his chocolate bar with a pointed _snap_. He fell back, spinning on his heels out the door without any further replies.

Matt sighed, twisting his lips around on his face wistfully. Linda's eyes trailed Mello until the door slammed behind him, and then flicked over to Matt. Seeing his lustful gaze, Linda snorted and shook her head disbelievingly. A knowing grin overtook her lips. "Okay, this is getting to be _too much_."

The redhead's face flushed like a radish. He tried to spit out some sort of defense in his favor, but it only managed to come out in a flurry of hums and coughs.

Linda dropped her head, looking at him seriously. "I know you're gay. It's nothing new. Remember?"

"How can I not?" He rolled his eyes, thinking of the time Linda forcefully made him admit that he was head over heels  
for his somewhat bipolar but sexy blonde roommate.

"Exactly. I think it's been long enough," the brunette girl crossed her arms and set her chin matter-of-factly, dropping one ankle over the other in her best friend's lap. She monopolized the head of Matt's bed and lounged comfortably on his collection of pillows, pushing Matt to the foot of the bed where he was condemned to play the role of ottoman. Linda bounced her eyebrows seductively. "I think it's time you come out of the closet."

"Orrrrrrrr," Matt drew out the word, picking a piece of lint off of Linda's neon blue socks, "I could _not._"

She only tilted her head and bounced her eyebrows a few more times.

"Okay, do you have a nervous disorder or something?" The hacker shook head, frowning.

Linda leaned forward, pulling her feet out of Matt's lap. "You need to."

"I do not."

"Yes, you do."

"No, I don't."

Linda dropped her feet to the ground and stood. Immediately, she whipped around, holding herself over Matt with her hands pressed against the top bunk. "Get the fuck out of the closet, Mattie, before I have to go in there after you and drag you out!"

"Uh..."

They froze. Simultaneously, their eyes wide as deer in the headlights, their heads cranked to the door, which was now open. The offending sexy blonde leaned against the doorway, observing his two fellow genii otherwise wordlessly. There was an amused smirk on his face, arms tucked into each other.

Linda took a deep breath, popping up onto her tiptoes. "Well," She said in a breathy voice. A smile broke out on her lips, the happiness and success obvious in her expression. She nodded and said with unmasked pleasure, "My work here is done." She slipped by Mello, their shoulders brushing as they moved in opposite directions.

"I wouldn't believe a thing she says - " Matt began, but was cut off.

"Really? Because I would." He stepped slowly into the room, clicking the door shut quietly behind him. He meandered over to his desk and dropped his flash drive into the pocket of his bag. _He must have forgotten it,_ Matt understood.

The redhead stood up and pushed his head against the top bunk behind him. The blonde just stared him down and "I really, _really_ wouldn't do -"

The last word was lost as Mello crashed his lips against his roommate's. Matt opened his eyes wide, stunned. Mello pushed themselves together as if trying to inhabit the same space. He pulled back with a smack.

Matt remained astounded, jaw dropped as far as it would go. Mello lifted his brow, smirking. He tapped Matt's chin, snapping it closed. "Shut your mouth before you start catching flies." He turned around, hitching his bag back up on his shoulder.

"W-wait!" The redhead lunged forward, hand falling short as Mello walked away.

The blonde stopped and turned around, tilting his head impatiently. "What?"

"Uh..." He pressed his lips together, the tingling sensation still blazing. "That's it?"

Mello threw his head back and laughed. "I've got to _study,_" he said, as if nothing had happened at all. "I don't have time to explain things that should be blatantly obvious to a genius of your caliber." He turned again, leaving the room without another word.

Matt just stared.

* * *

**A/N:** Well daaaamn, I'm just on a writing spree~! I guess I just like writing Matt and Mello coming out to each other.

I need to come up with a couple involving Mello more than Matt. Matt's just such a great character to write in awkward situations. :3

I'm thinking I might replace NaNoWriMo with this story, as I'm having much more fun writing this than I have with my story... I'm failing NaNo so badly. :o

Expect a short update every day, but don't rely on it, I guess I might say! :D

Hope you enjoyed yet another rapid update! And you know that reviews make my day so much better and make me smile like an idiot at a computer screen no matter when I read them. :3

~Rachel


	4. Kamehameha!

Testing day was tomorrow.

As was tradition every six months when the exams to determine the ranks of the students across the orphanage rolled around, the students in first, second, and third places of the previous semester received the honor of delivering a speech to the entire student body.

It was an event that was taken to its full advantage from all parties involved, whether they wanted to be there or not. Very rarely had the administration ever interrupted one of the kids' speeches in hopes that their spontaneous rambling would actually go somewhere and meet up with some point. Of course, the moment Matt found this out when he was only eleven years old, he took the opportunity to ramble on about Legend of Zelda for almost ten minutes before coming to the conclusion, "So when in doubt, go with the blue tunic." It was taken as an analogy to building a strong defense through studying, and the gamer got away with it, smirking as he stowed his GameBoy he'd been playing beneath the podium in the pocket of his furry cream vest.

This year, however, was going a bit differently.

After Near rambled on for his allotted amount of time about trying his best and _blah blah blah,_ Mello took the stage and began. "Fellow students of Wammy's House for Extraordinary Children," he smiled, enjoying his place above and before the other kids—Near included, crouching on a chair in the front row. Matt sat beside him, thumbing away at his DS, barely paying attention. "I know I've been up here for the last six years straight, which even I am surprised at this point. Near and I share the sometimes insufferable trait of unyielding tenacity, maintaining a tight grip on our places for years and years. My only issue with that is the obvious: I don't get any higher.

"I know it sounds conceited, and I'll fully admit that I'm borderline narcissistic when it comes to things like this. But you've all got to understand the frustration being the constant runner-up is, especially to this kid," Mello paused, waving to the white-haired boy. "It's absolutely infuriating!"

Wandering out from behind the podium, his animated hands dropped to his sides for a moment as he looked over the students. If anything else, every student, and even the staff at Wammy's had to admire Mello's unparalleled public speaking skills. "I'd just like to say that though I was second this last semester, and I was second every semester before that since I've been here…" He took a dramatic pause. "That won't be so after tomorrow."

A collective eyeroll-slash-sigh speckled the students in the auditorium. Though he was _good_ at speaking, he wasn't particularly good with varying content. They had all heard his spiel about finally taking first place each semester for the last two years. Many let it slide though, considering it as his own way of psyching himself up for the upcoming exam.

"So everyone out there, I'm sorry if you're hoping to place in the top slot this year. That place is reserved for Mello," he grinned, pointing at himself. Matt, snorting under his breath, rolled his eyes. _Egomaniac._

"Try your best, I dare you. Let's all push ourselves and aim to move at least one rank up in the scoreboard." He beamed, standing center stage. Matt could have sworn that if he wasn't too busy studying and being an egotistical asshole, Mello probably would have been the star of the drama club. "In short: good luck!"

As Mello jumped off of the stage, each child and every teacher in the auditorium began to clap, not necessarily because it was good, but because that's what was socially acceptable. But the blonde saw nothing faux about it and walked off with his head held high, plopping down beside Matt before the redhead could rapidly finish that level and save his game. As he stood, Mello flashed an icy glare at Near, now that the seat between them was vacated.

With his head still bent down at the screen displaying Professor Layton, Matt stepped up onto the stage and hovered behind the podium. Somebody in the crowd coughed after a few moments and he finally snapped his Nintendo DS closed after quickly scrawling his answer in the box. He looked up at the somewhat intent crowd through orange-tinted goggles. He smirked, remembering the subject of his speech.

Inhaling deeply and dropping his hands onto the podium lazily, he spoke. "You all know I never plan a speech ahead of time for this. To be completely honest, if I wanted to take the energy to not do a couple more papers every now and then, I would probably drop to fourth place, just so I don't have to stand up here and talk. But that's too much like effort," Matt sighed, shrugging.

"I know it's surprising, but I actually kind of thought about my speech this year."

_Ka…_

"As you all know, Mello's been my roommate my entire life here. He's been one of those constants along with his second place and my third and Near's first and so on," He waved his hand dismissively, as if talking conversationally to someone between classes. "Well, I've come to know him pretty well in these past five and a half years."

_…me…_

"We all know from living with our own roommates how much we can influence each other. I truly think that completely applies to Mello and me. We've adapted to each other's schedules so much so that he's taken to plugging his headphones in when I'm watching Scrubs, and I've learned to keep my game muted or also use headphones when playing video games. It works so we don't bug each other while he's trying to study or I'm trying to kick back and relax."

…_ha_…

Matt fiddled with his DS in his pocket as he came away from the podium, instead standing at the edge of the short stage. "It's an informal agreement, I guess. We just sort of started doing that. But in between all of his studying, and my gaming and Scrubs watching, we talk about the actual important things in life." Finally, he glanced at Mello, whose attention was firmly pinned to Matt's pale, freckled face.

…_me_…

"Over the years, we've admitted a lot of things to each other. We've exchanged stories of our pasts, our parents and any siblings we might have had. We talk about how freaking annoying certain people can be—" Mello gave Near a pointed look "—and about things like what we're supposed to be talking about in this speech right now."

Matt paused, eyebrows scrunching together beneath his mess of red hair. "We've learned a lot about each other in the past few years," He stood up, hands still stuffed in his pocket. "I think the thing I like best that I've learned about my _best friend…"_

_…HAAAAAAAA!_

"...is that he's gay."

The bright blue-white beam Matt had been mentally conjuring up blasted through the image of the sliding wooden door of their closet in his head. Mello was bent over the edge of the beam, flying through the back wall of the closet and out into the open.

_Kamehameha'd out of the closet,_ Matt couldn't help but smirk at his mental image.

Matt leaped off the stage and attempted to press his lips against his roommate's shocked senseless face. The auditorium erupted with laughter as Matt succeeded, if only for a moment, before fist and leg came at him simultaneously.

X

"Matt, you shouldn't have, ah, _outed _Mello against his wishes in that fashion." Matt only shrugged at Roger, holding the icepack over his eye, his leg up on a chair before him.

"And Mello, you shouldn't have physically assaulted Matt like that." Mello only crossed his arms and scowled, staring into the corner of the room. Matt tried to grin at him, but Mello only stood and brushed by him, pushing the chair he was sitting in out of his way.

"I'm sorry, Mel."

After a moment or two of extra scolding from Roger pertaining to the day's adventures, Matt stood and hobbled back to his room, gingerly placing weight on his severely bruised shin. It hurt, but he'd live, he decided. When Matt finally made it back to the room, he turned around, slowly and quietly closing the door before he took a look around the room to look for Mello.

He didn't get a chance to.

Before he could turn around on his own, hands grabbed the hacker by the shoulders and flipped him, slamming his back against the door. Suddenly, Mello's angry, clear-skinned face was right in front of him. "Don't you fucking _dare_ try to put something like that _ever again._" His upper lip twitched intimidatingly.

Matt stared at his roommate with wide goggled eyes. "Okay."

Without warning, Mello's arms were around the redhead's torso, pulling his roommate into himself tightly, pushing their lips together. He pulled back from the kiss. "At least, not without my permission."

Mello dived in for another kiss and Matt could only smirk through it. His ice pack dropped from his hands. The gamer could only think one single sentence as he realized that this meant his relationship with his roommate was open for the entire orphanage to know.

_I'm a fucking Super Saiyan._

* * *

**A/N: **Happy Monday! :D Hopefully this one update a day thing should keep on going throughout the month of November. :3I like this! :D

For the record, I don't own Death Note or Dragon Ball Z. :)

Now, I've gotta run to the bus. ;D

Hope you enjoyed, and I love hearing from you guys! 16 reviews in three chapters? I'm so touched! Truly incurable happiness these last couple days. :3 Thank you so much for reading and reviewing!

~Rachel


	5. Swift as a Coursing River

He'd be here any moment.

It had been almost five years exactly since I had seen my best friend, my roommate, my, until our separation, lifetime companion. Ever since I can remember, Matt and I had been the closest of the close. We were the dynamic duo of the orphanage, and even though we were the least like kids in the school, we still got a mixture of laughs from our various antics.

But just before I turned fifteen, everything went down the shitter. Kira was on the rise, L had been murdered by the crazy bastard, and Near wanted to work with me. In hindsight, it might have saved us a hell of a lot of trouble had I just swallowed my pride and put our heads together back then.

Instead, I ran away. I ran, did my own thing for a few years, and then ended up on my ass in a shabby L.A. apartment with a self-inflicted burn scar that seems like it's taking forever to heal. Of course, I could have gotten myself out of that building before I blew it up, but that would have defeated the purpose. It all worked out in the end.

Near started to reason with me, and I started to listen. He may not fully realize it yet, but I am a pivotal part of the rest of this investigation. We were in the home stretch, the final run. And part of my plan involved the assistance of a certain someone, a specific hacker I used to know who can set up surveillance cameras and spy on someone without a trace.

Matt.

I heard the jingle of keys as the tumblers on the front door rotated and lined up. Though I was more than sure of who it was, my hand rested on the handgun in the waistband of my pants as I tried to roll to a sitting position. It was late; almost eleven o'clock. That didn't matter with the time difference he must have just come from. The stiffness in my face broke as I frowned at the door of my bedroom, sending stinging pain radiating from the left side of my face.

Silently, the door cracked open and the redhead I knew for so long entered. He was a lot different than I remembered at first glance, but after I got past his new six inches, stubble, and angled face, I could still see my old best friend in the seemingly stranger that just strolled into my home. Same old ratty goggles, oddly dressed in a furry vest and striped jeans.

I smiled, despite the pain. "Matt."

He returned my smile, although his was somewhat forced. "Hey Mel."

I had told him about my scar. I told him it was ugly, that he wouldn't even want to look me in the eye. Somehow, he managed to keep his goggled blue eyes trained on me, though I could tell he was appraising the damage done to my face. Irreplaceable. It would be this way for the rest of my life.

I threw back the blanket on my bed and shivered as I stood up. Early December air wafted in through a cracked window behind me, and I grabbed a black blanket and threw it over my shoulders. I took his bag from his hand and tossed it on the queen-sized mattress behind me, turning him out of my bedroom. "Do you still drink coffee like a fish in water?"

Matt stuffed his hands in his pockets. "Sure."

I led him to the kitchen, separated from the drab living room by a thin half-wall. I gestured to him to sit down at the small table in there and set the coffee maker on. I slid into the chair opposite him, tossing a pile of mail that was sitting on the table across the small kitchen and landed with a slap on the counter.

"So…" Matt sighed, leaning back in his chair. "Long time, no see."

"Right?" I sighed, closing my eyes. "So, I've told you what I've been up to. Only blowing up buildings while still inside them. You know, genius things," I spoke with my mouth barely moving. "What's changed with you?"

He shrugged. "Nothing, I guess. I still hack, still game, still don't care," He paused, exhaling. "Linda moved out to New York. She always liked cold places. So, I'm still forever alone. No friends, as usual." He could only tilt his head, dismissing his topic from importance. "What about you? I hear the Mafia's full of hot prostitutes. How's your luck with the ladies?"

"They like me well enough, I guess." I bit the inside of my mouth. "They're good at what they do, but they genuinely _liked_ me. More than the other guys, I mean." I didn't like the way this conversation was going. I glanced at the gurgling coffee pot and rose. I poured a steaming mug of the dark liquid. "Come on, you've bound to want to get with _someone._ Spill." I placed the cup in front of Matt and then retrieved the sugar bowl from the cabinet and dropped it onto the table as well.

"Well, I guess there's this one person. I mean, they're great. I really can't explain them with justice. They're beautiful in every way to me, though I know a lot of people can't see them that way. They haven't even acknowledged my existence in a while, though, so I'm not really sure whether I should ask them out or not. I just don't know what they'd think, given the circumstances," He explained lightly, folding his arms behind his head.

I nodded. "I'm sorry to draw you away from England. Had I known you had a girl back there, I might have at least stopped to consider," I plopped back into my chair, tightening the blanket around my shoulders. "I mean, I'd have absolutely no time for a serious relationship now."

Matt scoffed. "Girl."

I raised an eyebrow at him. "What did you say?"

"I was laughing, because you automatically assumed it was a girl," Matt sipped at his coffee. "I thought you of all people would know what happens when you assume."

"You make an ass of you and me," I sighed, remembering that old saying. "Sorry. So, is it, then? A girl, I mean, or is it a guy?" I cut myself off, shaking my head, "Uh, I guess it doesn't matter anyway. You should ask them out anyway."

Matt just looked at me, an amused look plastered all over his face as he drank his coffee. It struck me as stupid that I had offered _coffee,_ even though the night was only getting later and later. I supposed Matt accepted, not planning to sleep anyway due to jet lag.

When he didn't say anything, I rubbed my right eye, careful not to touch the burnt skin on my face. "I'm really sorry, man. I've been pretty out of it for the last couple weeks." I bit my lip harder, trying to cut off the lump that was growing in my throat. Why the hell was I getting choked up right now?! I mentally kicked myself, trying again to explain. "It's just hard, knowing that my face is completely screwed up now and I'm dragging you into this mess even though I really don't want to and my face is in motherfucking _flames,_ no fucking pun intended—" I couldn't speak anymore. The lump was too big.

Matt pushed his chair back and stood up, leaving his coffee behind on the table. He grabbed my arm and stood my up too. I tried not to look at him. He didn't want to see me. I must have been a disgusting sight for anyone—blistered up face, bright red eyes brimming with fucking tears. It only made it worse that I was so angry at myself for even feeling as upset as I was.

His gloved hand pressed against the good side of my head and forced my eyes on him. His hand dropped and he gripped my shoulders. "Mello. Get a hold of yourself."

I gritted my teeth and looked down, shaking my head. I didn't even have enough breath to say, _I can't. _My tears spilled over, the saltiness of them stinging my cheek as they slid down my face.

The next thing I knew, his arms were wrapped over mine. I had expected him to… well, that's the thing. I don't know what I expected him to do. I certainly hadn't expected to break down into an overemotional mess at our reunion after all this time. I didn't care anymore. I slumped in his arm, dropping my head on his shoulder, staring out at my living room through blurry tears.

"Would you want to go get lunch tomorrow?" I heard the words as clear as day whispered right in my ear. It was an odd thing to ask someone who was an essential stranger after all of these years.

I stepped away from him and managed a croaky, "What?"

"You said to ask them out. I'm asking you out. Do you want to go get lunch tomorrow?" He spoke coolly, as if this had been his plan all along.

_He's asking me out._ That meant that I was the person he was just talking about, with love obvious in his eyes and a wistful tone in his voice. "_They're beautiful in every way to me."_ The memory of his words alone was enough to make my tears rush back. I attacked him, clawing at his back. I ignored the searing pain I was inflicting on myself my burying my face in his fuzzy vest.

He wordlessly wrapped his arms around me.

For a while, we stayed that way. I, the big bad Mafia boss with nothing under his skin broken down to sobbing into my old best friend I hadn't seen in years, who, by the way, just asked me out. I calmed down a bit and mustered up a breath.

"Yes."

"Hm?" He didn't move.

"I'd like to get lunch with you."

"… I love you, Mello," He paused, and when I didn't reply, went on, "I have for a while. I wasn't sure if you'd be the same person I fell in love in with back then, but… now I'm sure. I still love you."

I stopped. My breathing was relatively normal, but I could feel my heart beating, almost out of my chest. I felt his thumping, only a few inches from my own. "Why didn't you tell me back then?"

"You left."

_Oh. _That was simple enough. Another wave of self-loathing broke over me, and I adjusted my chin on his shoulder. We were about the same height now, even though he'd always been shorter than me. My lips pressed against the fabric of his vest. "I'm sorry."

"I know."

"I love you, Matt."

"I love you too."

* * *

**A/N: **Hello! :D Happy election day, all of you citizens of the U.S. out there!

I meant to publish this earlier, but I didn't get a chance to. I'd also like to leave a longer note here, but I'm kind of squeezed for time. ^_^"

Thank you so much for reading and reviewing! I love hearing from you guys. :3 Hope you enjoyed~!

~Rachel


	6. Next Best Thing

Mello puckered his lips to one side of his face, raising an eyebrow at the polynomial function before him. Something about this damn equation was off—it just wouldn't solve! He wasn't used to actually having to try too hard on review work at the beginning of the year, but apparently number seventeen thought differently. The blonde began to rummage in his bag by his desk for his text book, to ensure he had written it down correctly.

He heard the door creak open a tiny bit. He glanced up, but brown eyes flashed back into the hallway as the white painted wood slammed closed again. Mello sighed as he heard the rushed whispering behind the door. Obviously Matt and Linda were up to some sort of inane activities, as usual. He only stuffed his other ear bud in his ear and lost himself in the music.

_"Fuck, that's supposed to be a five,_" Mello exclaimed quietly under his breath. His eraser went to town and soon, the five lines of false calculations were gone. He went back to the very beginning and restarted the problem, something he knew some people (read: Matt) would never, _ever_ even think of doing.

The door creaked open again. This time he ignored it, pretending the noise to be lost to the music in his ears. Matt seemed to think so and Mello heard the door open fully. From the corner of his eye, he saw Matt enter first, his obnoxiously striped shirt apparent. Linda shuffled in after him with something relatively large and brown in her hands. By the way she was holding it, it seemed to be heavy.

Rolling his eyes, Mello returned to his work. At least _he_ wouldn't be staying up till ungodly hours of the night rushing to finish his homework, unlike _some people._

Linda crept up behind him and dropped the large brown object directly on top of his homework. With a quick curtsey and a speedy, "Your delivery," she was out of the room in a flash. Mello blinked at her, then blinked at the object before him.

It was a cake.

It was coated in a rich chocolate frosting that made his mouth water just looking at it. It took him a moment to realize the design of the cake: it had a rainbow across the top made of edible gel, and in the center of the square-shaped cake, the words read, "I'm gay."

He stopped and turned his head slowly to Matt to his right, eyes still trained on the cake. His eyes soon followed his head, flicking once to his roommate and then back to the cake. "Uh, congratulations? Finally? I knew it? What do you want me to say?"

Matt rocked back on his heels. He shrugged, glancing up at the ceiling. "I don't know."

"Then, why did you give this to me…?" Mello scooped a bit of frosting from the bottom and licked his finger. _Mm, Betty Crocker._

The redhead pulled up the chair of his desk and sat on it backward, crossing his arms beneath his chin. "Well, it _was_ on a website of funny ways to come out to your parents…" He trailed off for a moment, adjusting himself on the chair. "But I figured, since I don't have parents, my crush is the next best thing, right?"

Mello's eyebrow bounced upward.

_Crush?_

Shit.

"Well, that's nice to know. For sure, I mean, it's pretty obvious you had a thing for me anyway," Mello only shrugged, nudging the cake aside, surveying the damage to his homework. Not too much chocolate managed to get on the paper, but then again, his Maths teacher was more than used to receiving his chocolate-laden homework.

Matt stared at him. "So? What is it?"

"What is what?" Mello asked obliviously, not paying attention to the redhead in the least. He picked a spot of frosting off of his Algebra with a thumbnail and licked it.

"Your reaction! Do you like me back, am I wasting my time or is this just really awkward or all of the above?! I need answers, man!" Matt stood up, kicking his chair back across the room.

Mello hummed, biting his lip. "Is the cake a lie? The cake is _always_ a lie…"

Ignoring his Portal comment as much as possible, Matt just bounced and whined, "Melloooooooo…"

"Yeah, I'd say I like you too," Mello nodded after pondering for a few seconds.

"Yes!" Matt fist pumped with a victorious jump. "The cake may be a lie, but the box is forever!" He threw his arms around Mello's shoulders and landed a gross, saliva-filled kiss on his cheek. "I love you!"

"I love you too," Mello sighed in reply. "Now stop bugging me."

"Your wish is my command, master," Matt bowed dramatically, flopping onto his bed. He stared up at the top bunk, a relieved, ecstatic grin on his face.

Only a short silence drifted by before Mello spoke up again, "Matt?"

"Hmm?" He leaned upward, looking at his blonde roommate.

"…Get me a fork."

* * *

**A/N:** Ohhh, I'm making myself hungry!

I really liked this one for some reason. :3 It's just so cute and I love happy little innocent Matt. ^0^ What about you? ;3

I really hope you enjoyed, and thanks so much for reading (and hopefully reviewing!) I'm willing to accept suggestions for future chapters at any time, just shoot me a PM! :D

Thanks again!

~Rachel


	7. Magically

Linda sat in her apartment, staring at the empty canvas before her. She crossed one leg over the other and put her fist to her mouth, thinking. For some reason or another, in the last couple of weeks, she hadn't been able to produce any sort of artwork she could find pride in. She supposed that was good in a roundabout kind of way—it kept her humble and honest, counterintuitive to the deadly sins she'd been taught to ward off.

Still, she couldn't help but admit it was _damn_ annoying.

Her mind began to wander as her eyes explored the simple white fibers. It reminded her of the snow that often coated the back fields of Wammy's House, mostly untouched until the kids got out there and made a mess of it. In the end, some beautiful masterpiece always stood above all of the muddy, grassy sludge in the form of a snow sculpture collaboration of all of the students of the orphanage.

Linda had always had a special part in that, mainly her responsibility of sculpting the tiny, barely noticeable, but immensely image-changing details, all with her gloved fingers. So dedicated to the project was she, that during several winters, she had suffered from slight frostbite on most of her fingers. The artist could only remember Matt snorting at her as she sat in his room with Mello, her fingers soaking in hot water as he played videogames.

Matt and Mello. It had been years since she'd seen them. Matt had been her best friend, and she had somewhat gotten along with Mello. The relationship between the artist and the bipolar blonde was mainly through his roommate, and even then, strictly based on screwing with each other.

In other words, she liked Matt better. In all fairness, she hadn't too much to go off of when thinking of Mello, but the feeling still remained.

_Five years,_ Linda thought. It had been five years since she'd last seen the two of them together. Of course, she'd seen Matt for a year after Mello left, and had spontaneously messaged him over the remaining four. He had never replied, but she was sure he saw them, or at least felt in some manner that they had been conveyed telepathically. She was also sure there had been some sort of reply, although that one _had _to be telepathically. There was no way a message from Matt, the hacker of the computer age, would ever get lost in digital transit.

The one memory Linda knew she would never forget was the night Matt told her about his crush on his roommate. She had been the model best friend, completely supportive, albeit a tad disappointed. They sat there underneath a blanket fort they made in Matt's bedroom one night while Mello was on an overnight fieldtrip the hacker hadn't felt compelled to go on.

"What would you say if your best friend was… you know, if someone you knew liked… guys, even though they were a guy?" Matt, only thirteen at the time, picked at his fingernails, glancing nervously between them and his friend before him.

Linda shrugged. "Who really cares who they like as long as their happy?" She knew what she was getting into from the start.

It came of no surprise when Matt murmured, "What about me?"

The artist only smiled. "The feeling doesn't change."

The look on his face was worth it all. It was worth the disappointment of her long-time crush disappearing before her eyes. It was worth him leaving Wammy's only one short year after Mello did. It was, more than anything, worth the heartbreaking realization that his love had left before he had a chance to say goodbye.

He never gave up hope, though. Even the anniversary of Mello's leaving the orphanage, Matt's passion for the reactive blonde was as strong as ever. He followed in his footsteps, packing up and leaving Wammy's. At least with Matt, he thought to say goodbye to his best friend.

Linda pulled her feet up on the couch, the canvas still begging to be used. But for what? Nothing seemed to be coming to mind, although a slight idea tugged at the back of her head that she couldn't quite grasp.

_Knock, knock._ Eyebrows furrowing, the artist hopped to her feet and cautiously moved toward her locked door. She stretched onto her tiptoes and peeked through the peephole. She had expected one of the other artists or an outside friend of hers dropping by for a spontaneous visit.

Instead, a redhead and a blonde stood there.

Her eyes widened as he heart soared, and Linda pulled back the door, smiling as Matt wordlessly opened his arms for her. She leaped into the redhead first with an excited squeal of his name. Stepping back, she smiled at Mello, balking for a moment at the new scar that overtook most of his face now. The artist shook it off, sighing, "Matt. Mello. I was just thinking about you two! Come in, come in!"

"I guess we're just _that_ good, you know? I find you and drag this one to come see you on the way back to L.A. just as the memories are flooding back," Matt grinned, picking up conversation as if not a day had passed since he left.

Linda shrugged, gesturing them to sit as she scuttled into her kitchen to put on the kettle for tea. She could see snowflakes on their shoulders, a sure sign that it had been snowing.

Mello spoke up, "Oh yeah, _really _good. Who know that of all places, you pick a tiny little no-name town in the middle of Buttfuck, New York to move out to after Wammy's House?" He craned his neck around, watching me.

"Well," she started, settling into the cold fabric of the chair adjacent to them, "It's gorgeous out here first of all. The inspiration of nature is great, but there's also a city an hour away so I'm not completely cut off from society. Speaking of which, where did you two fall of the face of the Earth to?"

Matt replied plainly, "As I said, L.A. Anyway, that's not exactly what we came to talk to you about."

"Oh? There was a _purpose _to this little side trip other than just seeing my beautiful face again?" Linda grinned at him, and he couldn't help but smirk back.

"Unfortunately, yes." He glanced at Mello.

"Well, since he still can't say it out loud without giggling, I'll say it. We're together. Going out. In cahoots—whatever you want to use to describe it. I love this dork and he find some reason to love me back," Mello gestured between the two of them, a smile breaking on his serious and scarred face.

Linda couldn't help but beam. "I knew you two would end up together. You're like magnets; no matter where you go, something always draws you guys right back together again," She clapped her hands, illustrating.

"So, you're not disappointed or shocked or _something?_ Just, you knew it?" Matt questioned, adjusting his old orange goggles on his nose.

She shrugged. "My disappointment faded a long time ago. Remember what I said back then?"

Mello turned to look at Matt, but there was only a blankly confused expression on his face.

"Who really cares as long as you're happy?"

* * *

**A/N:** So I decided to change which chapter I was going to publish for today at the very last second, thanks to a review I got last night that made me just smile. Here's a great big shout out to my friends Kale and Gray! Thank you so much! I had been wondering when I would hear from you again. :)

This chapter may be a bit different from the others, but I still like it just as much. :3 I really hope you all enjoyed, and thank you so much for reading and reviewing! :D

~Rachel


	8. Get Me Out of My Mind

The bright afternoon sun tried its very hardest to penetrate the thick blinds and dark blue curtains hanging in front of the window in the room shared by the two M's of Wammy's. Matt was flopped, face-down on the mattress, attempting to stay awake so he wouldn't sleep through dinner again. He was losing the battle, and his head nodded as his face fell into the dark coloured quilt, the controller of his Xbox long forgotten by his hand on the floor. The background music of Soul Calibur II lulled him into a gentle snooze, and he was almost lost on the world.

_Slam!_ The door met the wall with a thunderous bang, followed rapidly in suit by the incessant and very colorful swearing of a certain blonde boy. Jaw set angrily, Mello squeezed his lips closed, cutting of his grumbles. He crossed the room, meaning in every step, toward the closet at the end of the set of bunk beds he shared with his roommate.

The aforementioned roommate groggily lifted his head up. "What's got you in a tizzy this time? Near again?" His eyes were barely open, the goggles he normally wore to game fallen around his neck.

Mello didn't reply. He only ripped an old duffle bag from the somewhat organized mess of a storage space and began throwing shirt after dark colored shirt on top of it.

Matt's consciousness was slowly coming back to him as his arms pushed his body away from the bed. "Mello?"

Still no reply. The blonde threw a pair of boots into the pile, followed by another pair of sneakers and a thick winter jacket.

"Mel, what the hell are you doing? Where are you going?" He was wide awake now, a feeling of misgiving rising in his chest. Matt pushed himself off the bed, landing on his feet. He straightened.

Mello stared down at a small drawstring bag before tossing it behind him. He paused in his spontaneous closet-emptying spree. Matt watched eagerly as the blonde braced himself and took a breath to reply, "L's dead."

Matt's heart fell. "No," he sighed. "No. He can't be—he's _L._ He's probably just faking his death so that he can catch Kira off-guard." He bent over and scooped up three or four shirts in his hands, holding them out to Mello. "Here, put those back."

"It's not fake, Matt," Mello's even voice grew suddenly. Matt flinched at the racket. Mello only sighed, continuing in a quieter, much more controlled voice. "I'm leaving. Roger wants me to work with Near…"

"No." Matt started down at his clenched fists, feeling as his fingernails began to dig into his palms.

"…and I just can't do that."

"_No,_" Matt repeated, emphasizing the single syllable. His fists tightened.

"I can't stay here, so I—"

"I _said, no!"_ His palms exploded open, upturning questioningly as he reached out to spin his roommate around. "After all this time, all of the years we've spent together here…" Mello averted eye contact, his crystal blue eyes sliding down to look at his bag on the floor beside them. Matt ducked to meet his eyes. "…you'd just leave?"

He sighed, gritting his teeth. "I have to."

"No you don't," The redhead shot back without hesitation.

Equally quickly, Mello returned, "Give me one good reason."

"_Me."_ He poked himself in the chest, giving his roommate as hurt a look as he could muster. Still, he could feel his freckled face growing red with a mixture of embarrassment, anger, and desperation.

Mello stopped. "…What did you say?"

"Are you fucking deaf? I said, _I'm _the reason you shouldn't leave." He set his feet, crossing his arms in front of him.

"Why? Why would you want me to stick around? We've had our times. But now I have to go do my own thing and fight Kira in my own way," Mello grumbled. He moved to go around his roommate before him, but Matt only mirrored him, blocking his path.

"Because. We're only fourteen. We haven't had time to do _anything!_ I haven't kissed anyone, I haven't been on a date. I haven't been a teenager long enough to enjoy it—"

"And why do you need me here to do all of that?"

Matt hesitated, his voice dying in his throat. He gulped and tried again. "Because, I also haven't figured out how to tell you…" Again, his voice seemed choked as he gave a moment of apprehensive silence, "…That, I like you. More than just a friend, I mean."

Mello's eyes narrowed, regarding his roommate carefully. "You… like me?"

"Yes." The redhead gave another gulp as he gave a curt nod.

The blonde fell back, taking a step to catch himself. "Nobody… I didn't think… _anybody_ liked me. Let alone _you,"_ He bowed his head, glancing off to the side. "I—" He stopped himself.

"You can't leave now," Matt insisted. His eyes wandered around the room and finally landed on Mello. "Please?"

Mello, chest heaving as his heart beat within it. "Come with me."

Eyes widening, Matt drew a deep breath. Leave? Now? After only four years, Wammy's House had become his home. The best memories of his life so far had occurred here. He'd fought with Mello for the first six months of their living together. They had skipped class together, only once, to relax in the library, hidden from the others. Matt had, after Mello worked himself to exhaustion, completed the rest of their joint project to perfection as the blonde slept, head pressed to desk.

He started with a realization that all of those memories centered around the other boy standing before him.

"… Let's go."

* * *

**A/N:** I especially like this chapter! I'm thinking of making something out of it, in another fic, in which case this chapter shall be exchanged for another later on. :) It may take me a while, though.

Just a quick shoutout here, if any of you have been following my friend McKale Jeehl here on Fanfiction, or reading any of his stories that have been quite abandoned, he'll be reposting them on a nice little site called WattPad under the name Stefanbane, if any of you are interested in reading them. :) I must say, I quite enjoy all of his stories, especially All the Right Reasons... for the right reasons, of course. ;)

Anywho, I'm done rambling. :3 Have a fantastic day/afternoon/night, and I sincerely hoped you enjoyed! Thanks so much for reading and reviewing; it makes me smile knowing that my work is read and liked. :)

~Rachel


	9. Testosterone Boys

Matt stared at the ratty roof above his head, speckled with wet spots and the beginnings of mold. He had his arms crossed behind his head against the arm of the couch he was laying on, and his dark blue eyes were growing tired. The sudden time change between Winchester, England, to Los Angeles, California was beginning to catch up with him, despite his habit of staying up all through the night playing video games.

When he had finally showed up in L.A. upon request of his old friend and roommate Mello, things picked up almost exactly where they left off. There wasn't the same layer of awkwardness that was usually present between old friends who hadn't seen each other in five years. It was as if not a day had passed since their days together at Wammy's House, and Matt and Mello had remained the best of friends.

Matt sighed. "Why do you still live in this dump?" His eyebrows drew together, his eyes narrowing to focus on a particularly interesting part of the ceiling.

Mello, in the kitchen behind him fixing them some lunch, gave a grunt. "It's a roof over my head. Sure, it's filthy, but it's shelter. Deal with it." The sizzling of buttered bread on a pan resonated from the kitchen, and the scent of grilled ham and cheese wafted out the archway leading to the mostly empty living room.

Matt's stomach gurgled. "Yeah…" His hand slid up under his shirt, scratching at his stomach lazily. "Don't you ever want someplace nicer, though? I mean, it's disgusting in here. The alleyway behind Walmart seems better."

Exiting the kitchen with two plates in hand, Mello dropped one on Matt's stomach. "You obviously haven't had to actually spend the night in the alleyway behind Walmart."

The redhead paused, sitting up with a groan. "Oh…" He dropped his legs on the floor, making room for Mello to sit down next to him. He kept forgetting what his best friend had gone through in the last five years—living on the streets for most of it, until getting adopted by the Mafia three years in. Granted, Mello was far smarter than most hermits, but still, Matt had no idea what it was like to not have a nice warm bed to come home to every night.

Dismissing the topic from his mind, Matt took a bite of his sandwich and mumbled, mouth full, "Don't you have a ton of money from the Mafia?" He swallowed with a gulp. "Don't you have enough to move?"

Mello shrugged. "I guess. We're going to be moving to Japan for the rest of the investigation as it is, so why bother?" He jabbed at the remote on the coffee table, and the image of the Guy Fawkes mask flashed across the screen. _V for Vendetta,_ Matt observed, eyeing Natalie Portman with a smirk.

He shook his head, looking back to Mello. "After this whole thing, where do you want to live?" He took a sip of the soda he had on the coffee table.

The blonde hummed behind his mouthful of sandwich, actually swallowing before he replied, "I don't know if there _will_ be an 'after this whole thing,' and you know that."

"I know, I know," The redhead stretched his legs out. "But if there is. Where would you want to live?"

Mello took a deep breath. "I'd want to go back to Winchester."

Matt blinked with surprise. "Really?"

"Yeah." Mello's shoulders twitched in a short shrug. "It's familiar. It's the closest thing to a home I've got." He leaned forward and stole a sip of Matt's soda before he began to browse through the channels on television. "What about you?"

"I'd want to go to Maine," Matt answered without a second's hesitation. He observed his sandwich before chomping into it again.

Mello's eyebrows bounced. "Maine?"

Matt nodded, sure of himself. Swallowing hard, he replied simply, "Well, if it turns out that you like me as much as I like you, we could get married there, now. They just passed it."

Mello stopped, almost choking on his current bite of sandwich. He forced it down the right pipe. "Wait—" He coughed. "_Married?_"

"Yeah," Matt nodded, oblivious to Mello's outright surprise. His eyes that were previously trained on the television flicked to his again roommate and he gasped. "Oh, shit. I didn't tell you I was gay yet, I take it…"

"_No,_ you conveniently left that part out," Mello wiped his mouth and set his lunch down. "When were you going to fucking _tell me?_" He readjusted himself on the couch so he was facing Matt.

The redhead mirrored him. "Now, I guess." He folded his hands in front of him and tilted his head with a smile. "I love you."

"This is unfair." The blonde crossed his arms.

"What is?" It was Matt's turn to be confused.

Mello shook his head and rolled his eyes. "I wanted to tell you first." His straight, angry face melted into a smile as he saw realization slap Matt in the face. The redhead could only beam and launch himself across the couch and wrap his arms around his old friend.

Mello, laughing, welcomed him. Matt managed a few kisses on his cheek before the blonde managed to push the gamer off of his lap. "Whoa, boy. Take it slowly."

"If by slowly you mean get in your bed? Sure."

Their blue eyes remained trained on each other. Both kept poker faces in place, just waiting for the other person to break.

Mello broke first. He pointed at the door to his bedroom. "Go."

* * *

**A/N: **Heheheheheheh, I enjoy this. :) But then again, I enjoy every chapter of this... :D

I hope you enjoyed it too. ;) Thank you so much for reading and reviewing! ^ u ^

~Rachel


	10. Ocean Avenue

"Pssst!"

Matt's ear twitched, but his eyes didn't move from the screen of his DS. Animal Crossing was far too important.

"Matt! Pssst!"

"What?" He shifted, laying on his stomach in the corner of the library.

"Matt, Linda! This is _quiet_ study time, please," Mrs. Anderson's harsh voice rang across the otherwise quiet library. Matt tore his goggled eyes away from his game in front of the book on sloths he was currently pretending to read. He gave the biology teacher an innocent glance, while the other half of the guilty party only stared at the pages of her own book on marine mammals.

After their moment of attention from nearly every student in their class, Linda tried again. "Hey," she whispered, scooting over on the carpet beside him. "Did you know that dolphins sometime engage in homosexual activities?"

_Well, that's not something you hear every day._ He looked up and raised an eyebrow at the girl beside him. "What?" His voice was barely a whisper as he tried to correctly process what she'd just said.

"See?" Linda slapped a finger onto the waxy page and read aloud, "'It's been observed in several cases that some bottle-nosed dolphins have assumed partners of the same sex.' This brings a whole new meaning to dolphins being gay sharks." She pursed her lips cheekily and smiled at him, waiting for some sort of reaction.

Matt only looked back to his Nintendo DS. "Koalas also have two penises."

"Ew_,_" Linda grimaced, but continued happily nonetheless, "But you know what this means, right?" Again, her excited expression stared at the barely attentive redhead.

She wasn't getting a reaction out of him. He clicked away at his game with a bored hum. "Hmm?"

Her mischievously enthusiastic face fell to a slightly annoyed, but mostly apathetic look. Clicking her tongue quietly against the roof of her mouth, she widened her eyes again, trying to get Matt as eager as she was. "It means," she drawled out the word, shaking her head slightly to regain his attention, "that the bottle-nosed dolphin is _obviously _your spirit animal."

Matt coughed, trying to cover up his laugh. A couple of kids looked his way, and Mrs. Anderson peered over at them from her position at a desk across the room. She stood, wandering over. Matt surreptitiously slid his Gameboy underneath his book.

"Come on, you know it's true," She ducked her head, bumping her friend's beside her.

"Linda! Stop bothering Matt. He's not doing the project on dolphins; you are." The short blonde woman crossed her arms, speaking evenly at the young girl on the floor.

The sandy haired student looked up sheepishly. "I'm sorry. I'll be quiet."

"You're right, you will."

X

When study period came to an end, Linda scurried away with an invitation to lunch with Mrs. Anderson the next day as punishment. She supposed it wasn't as bad as it could have been, but she still wasn't exactly looking forward to eating in a room full of petrified animals in jars and stuffed, dissected fetal pigs.

Linda hopped into Matt and Mello's shared bedroom after the redhead, book in hand. "Come on, Matt, I _had_ to! You know me, I have short-term memory loss; I would have forgotten to tell you until dolphins came up during conversation again! And who _knows_ when that would be," Her voice dropped in pitch with her last sentence, and she dropped all of her things on the end of Matt's bed.

The gamer rolled his eyes. "Probably in the next twenty minutes. You _are_ doing an entire project on _dolphins,_ remember?" He too let his bag fall to the floor. "In the words of Banker and Chum, 'Oh, look at me, I'm a flippin' little dolphin, lemme flip for ya!' They're so stupid."

The blonde gasped indignantly. "_Wrong._ I'll have you know that dolphins are some of the most intelligent creatures alive!" Matt just scoffed. "What, do you think _sloths_ are any better?"

"Yes," Matt replied without hesitation. "Sloths sleep all day and expend as little energy as possible. In my opinion, that's about as smart an animal as you can get. Save for koalas, that is. They're fucking vicious and they sleep as much as sloths do. But no, fucking Sage got at them first," He ranted on, thinking about how the other resident redhead of Wammy's managed to snatch up the topic of koalas before Matt did. Of course, this was due to his own lazy inattentiveness when the project itself was announced, but that didn't stop him from complaining.

The door cracked open and Mello strolled in, actually taking a moment to hang his bag and sweatshirt up on the coatrack behind the door. Linda turned around, "So, how's your research on the lovely lion going, my dear?"

"First of all, don't ever call me 'dear' again. Second, pretty well. As it turns out, they're a lot more interesting than I originally thought," He said, brushing his blonde hair out of his eyes as he sat down in his swivel chair. "Did you know that lionesses are attracted to lions mainly by not only the size but the _color_ of the male's manes?"

Linda lowered herself into the overstuffed blue chair across the room from Mello. "Got it, dear." She winked. Mello only glared at her as she grinned and continued, "And cool. Dolphins are just as neat as I've always known, of course." She played with the silver dolphin charm around her neck. "_Oh!_" She exclaimed, remembering her and Matt's earlier conversation, "And guess what! I've discovered that the bottle-nosed dolphin is definitely Matt's spirit animal."

"Matt," He began, raising an eyebrow, "…A _dolphin_? Really," The blonde crossed his arms, regarding the female in the room carefully. "And what makes you say that?"

"Ah, I think we should skip that—" Matt tried to speak up, but Linda spoke over him, completely cutting him off.

"Well, that's easy. Some dolphins have homosexual tendencies. And some _other _dolphins are completely and consistently gay." Mello's eyebrow flew up his forehead and he slowly turned to look at Matt, who was flushing a bright red color. "I think it's quite sweet myself," Linda went on. "I think they're lucky. There's no discrimination in the water."

Mello tilted his head, glancing back to Linda, "Depends on who's swimming, I guess." He stood up. "But I think you should go now."

"Why?" A bizarrely curious quirk of her eyebrows came over her face. At Mello's deadpan, narrowed-eyed glare, she slid to her feet and moved to grab her bag and collection of books from Matt's bed. Not once did her eyes leave his. "Uh, alright, then…"

Mello quietly clicked the door shut behind Linda, turning in an eerily calm manner to face the accused dolphin. "So…" He began, tucking his hands into the pockets of his black jeans. "You'd tell a bigmouth like her," He shrugged, his shoulder gesturing toward the door where the artist had just exited, "But you wouldn't tell _me._"

Matt could only take a step back until his shoulders hit the bottom of Mello's top bunk behind him. His face was acting as a very nice camouflage in the red of his hair.

The blonde withdrew his hands and crossed his arms. "You _do_ know what this leads me to deduce, right?"

"Uh," He stuttered, "That I'm not actually gay and that Linda just loves to screw with me?" The redhead offered a nervous grin.

"Mm, no," Mello hummed, shaking his head. "Unfortunately not. I also don't suspect you wouldn't want to make me uncomfortable by having a gay roommate, considering you barely had any qualms with jacking off at night with me right above you." Mello cringed, jerking his head to the side, trying to rid himself of that memory.

This time, a shaky laugh escaped Matt's lips.

"Yeah, no. You _like me_,don't you?" There it was. They both knew it was coming, and there it was. Mello took a step closer, but Matt had nowhere to go.

"Of course I like you," he sputtered, "You're my best friend and roommate, it would be pretty difficult if I didn't like you."

"Not that kind of like, dumbass. You know what I mean." Mello lowered his chin, offering up a knowing glare from his cold blue eyes that hit Matt like a snowball. He stalked closer, until he was barely three feet away. "You _like_ me, like me."

Matt's only answer was to push off the bunk bed and drop his lips onto Mello's. The blonde recoiled from the simple speed of the redhead falling into him and held Matt at arm's length. Still slightly panting from the sheer adrenaline coursing through his bloodstream, the gamer choked out, "Is that answer enough for you?"

His heart thumped like the rabbit from Bambi as he waited anxiously for an answer. Mello just stared at him, and though he looked cool and calm on the exterior, pausing only for dramatic effect, in his mind, the blonde was scrambling for some sort of reply. Only when he was sure of what he was going to say did he open his mouth.

"… I think so, yeah." He leaned forward—much more slowly than Matt had, he noted—and kissed him. It wasn't anything fancy—no desperation, no lingering, and definitely no tongues. He just kissed him, plain and simple. Eyes closed, head titled to the right, slow and deliberate kiss.

When he pulled back, Matt could only stare until the shocked look on his face melted into a smile. He tried to speak, but only a nervous laugh came out. He cleared his throat, but couldn't come up with anything to say or so other than lean in and try for another kiss.

Mello welcomed it. He pulled back with a _smooch_. He took a step away from the redhead and regarded him, fingers folded in front of his mouth thoughtfully.

"So, a dolphin, eh?"

* * *

**A/N:** I swear, I don't think Matt and Linda can ever properly behave in a library...

Happy Veteran's Day, everyone! Thank you to everyone who's is or has been out in the field to defend their country, whether it be the U.S. or their own. This includes my step-dad and my wonderful late grandfather. :) Thank you all!

I really hope you enjoyed this chapter, because I have to say, this is my second favorite so far, only second to Honor To Us All. ;)

Holy cow, 54 reviews?! I didn't think this would be that popular after only nine chapters. :O Thank you all so much for reading and reviewing! You really make my day. ;3

~Rachel


	11. To Isengard!

"This day does not belong to one man, but to all. Let us together rebuild this world that we may share in the days of peace," Matt whispered along, in sync to the newly crowned King of Gondor and Arnor. He mumbled along in Elvish as Aragorn descended the stone steps and stopped in front of Legolas. The redhead could barely contain himself when the white-clad Arwen appeared in the crowd.

Matt bit his lip, holding back tears of pure fanboy from rolling down his face. His hands propped up his head by the chin and his toes bounced up and down as he kicked the bed behind him, making sure not to hit his blonde roommate. It didn't work. His socked foot ricocheted off of the other kid's stomach.

Mello groaned tiredly, shoving the other's foot away. Matt, hearing his sleepy voice, craned his neck around. To his dismay, Mello was, as he fearfully expected, drifting off. Matt pushed himself up, exclaiming, "Hey, you can't fall asleep now!" Mello only groaned. Taking it as a lazy question, the redhead shook the bed beneath him. "Because!" He whipped an arm out toward the small TV on a chest of drawers between their beds. The King held the Elf princess in his arms and they shared a passionate kiss as he spun her around. "Look!" Matt pouted in the general direction of the television, "I would love to be—well, _either _of them…" He gave up on trying to get Mello's attention and sighed dreamily.

"Wait, what…?" Mello mumbled, his face scrunching together, though he kept his eyes closed.

"Uh…" Matt's eyes widened, realizing what he'd just said. "I said, I would love to be Aragorn right about then—Arwen's a fucking _babe._"

"Mmhmm," The blonde only moaned and rolled over onto his side. "I still don't see why you couldn't have watched this in your _own_ bed," he murmured, trying to expend as little energy as possible. _Three and a half hours of Lord of the Rings can really tire a person out, _he observed in his mind.

The redhead only sighed. "You have a better view," He stated matter-of-factly, this time purposely nudging his roommate's elbow. The blonde's head bobbed as its support was bumped. "And anyway, there's plenty of room on here for the two of us."

"It's a fucking twin-sized bed, Matt."

"And?"

When Mello gave an exasperated scoff, the gamer pulled himself to his knees and crawled up the bed until he plopped down beside him. "It's fine. Now watch the rest of this; it wraps everything up!" He whacked Mello in the chest, hoping to get him up to watch the last ten minutes of the movie.

With a glare burning brighter than the Eye of Sauron, Mello punched him not-so-accidentally as he struggled to a sitting position. He eyed his shoulder, which was uncomfortably squished against Matt's beside him. "And you say this is big enough for the two of us."

"Shh!" Matt was as enthralled as could be as two Hobbits stood at the altar. He grinned like a schoolgirl, despite having watched the movie dozens of times before.

"Wait, who's that?" Mello questioned loudly, finally focusing back in to the end of the movie.

"That's Rosie—the girl Sam wanted to dance with at the beginning of the first movie? 'If I were to get married to someone, it would be _her,'" _He quoted, mocking Samwise Gamgee. "Come on, Mel!" Matt threw his hands up, slightly annoyed with Mello's inattentiveness to the most wonderful movie on the face of the earth, in his opinion. He sighed and shook his head. "Just watch."

Matt sat, riveted to the television screen for the remainder of the movie (read: about ten minutes). When the credits finally began to roll, he luckily managed to keep his tears of happiness from doing the same.

And then there was the sudden weight on his shoulder.

Matt glanced up, keeping as still as possible, and saw his roommate, arms crossed, passed out. His head had fallen to the side, knocking slightly with Matt's as it came to a rest on his shoulder. Wide-eyed, the redhead could only bite his lip and hold his breath. This _was_ happening, right? Normally he would have been pissed at anyone who fell asleep during Lord of the Rings, but this was _Mello. _One did not simply turn down a rather sexy, sleepy blonde.

"Uh, Mel?" Matt whispered nervously.

There was no reply. Only the quiet rush of air from Mello's nose as he slept.

"Melloooo…?" His voice rose a bit, but not enough to wake up his roommate. He only kept on sleeping as peacefully as ever.

_Shit._ Matt quietly peeled himself from beneath the slumbering Mello, making sure not to move him too much, aside from adjusting the pillows so his head didn't flop over. Laying both hands over his shoulders to steady him, Matt stepped away nervously. Luckily, the blonde stayed upright.

Sighing softly, the redhead pulled back the blankets of his bed only a couple yards away. He looked back longingly at Mello, sleeping relatively peacefully in a slumped sitting position. _At least he has pillows to prop him up_, Matt thought with a shrug.

He looked at the cold, uninviting bed and paused. His eyes slid back to the nice and warm blonde-occupied bed behind him. His heart ached as he pouted to himself, bouncing his leg up and down like a small child as he tried to make a decision.

The next thing he knew, Matt was curled beside Mello on the small strip of bed the blonde had left. The geek beside him didn't care in the least. Matt snuggled up to Mello's arm, humming another low, "Mel?" There was no answer from the deep sleeper.

Glancing around the room to assure himself that the TV was off and everything was in order, Matt turned back to Mello and placed a tiny peck on his lips before tucking his head down, settling in to sleep.

Mello's lips twitched into a small smirk.

* * *

**A/N:** Wow, really late update today. Sorry guys, heh! ^_^" What with my mom's rather spontaneous organ removal and an essay I didn't want to write due, it took me a while. x3

In the end though, this makes me chuckle. :3 Can you tell someone just finished the Lord of the Rings trilogy? Bahaha, nooo, not me, silly. ;)

I'm sorry Legolas, where are they taking the Hobbits? Heh.

So I really hope you enjoyed, and thank you all for reading and reviewing! :D


	12. What Did You Say?

A golden beam of morning sunlight flooded through a crack in the blue curtains. The sound of birds' cheerful singing was playing like background music outside. Summer's dew glistened on the bright green and healthy grass that stood sentry outside Wammy's House for Extraordinary Children. The western horizon was still dim, however, betraying the small hour that read on each clock throughout the orphanage.

It was a lazy Saturday morning. Only elective classes took place today, and not until later in the afternoon at that. Consequently, most of the children were still asleep in their respective bedrooms, enjoying their morning off.

The room belonging to the dynamic duo Matt and Mello was no different. All was still in the blue-tinted room. All electrical devices, for once in the avid gamer's life, were off, though the case to Matt's Lord of the Rings DVD was left abandoned atop the TV between the two beds. The only sign of life that could be detected was the slow, deliberate rising and falling of the two boys' chests as they slept together, leaving the other twin-sized bed cold and deserted.

The sunlight crested the tree line outside and spilled into the room just as the digital clock flipped to 5:30 A.M. Though the clock itself kept silent, the internal time-keeper of the blonde mass on one half of the bed rang.

Mello slipped slowly back into consciousness at his usual time, but when he registered the feeling of a solid _thing_ pressed up against him, his eyes snapped open. Just managing to keep his jolt to a minimum, the feeling of panic dissolved at almost the same time it appeared when the memories of the previous night came back to him. Matt had decided it would be a perfect night to finish off the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Unfortunately, he hadn't mentioned that it would take exactly three hours and twenty minutes to finish watching.

And so the blonde fell asleep. While hovering between dream and lucidity, though, one particular happening still made his heart swell.

Matt had kissed him.

Mello had known it all along. His roommate had always mentioned his infatuation and "guy crushes" on several different male figures, both real and fictional. He had also always denied being anything other than straight. But when Mello "fell asleep," it was just too enticing for Matt to resist, and he had kissed him before cuddling up beside him. And he had to admit, he did _not _mind that at all.

Mello glanced at his roommate only a few inches from his face. He was still sound asleep, though his arm was snaked under the blonde's back, the other thrown lazily over his side. Matt had tucked his feet in between Mello's some time during the night, and he noted that most of the pillows they had been sharing were now on the floor.

His eyes returned to the slumbering redhead currently tangled up with him. He just looked far too comfortable to move, Mello decided. Instead, he murmured a croaky, "Matt."

He cleared his throat, though the gamer remained sound asleep. It seemed as if heavy sleeping was a plague of that room. Mello spoke again, though he knew from experience, little to nothing would get Matt out of bed on a Saturday morning. He wasn't surprised when there was no reply. "Psst," He smirked, hissing excitedly, "Hey Matt, bacon!"

His nose twitched and Mello held his breath victoriously. When Matt didn't move again, he let his breath out in a rush, grinding his teeth slightly.

Mello stared at Matt. He was just as peaceful as he was when he was awake—although one could argue that Matt was never _fully _awake. His collection of freckles dusted his cheeks, and his pale skin was smooth and pure. Mello bit his lip, grinning at the way his red hair fell diagonally across his face as he slept.

"Matt." He tried once more, to no avail. Finally, in the same fashion Matt had bid him good night, Mello bid him good morning.

As soon as Mello's lips pressed against Matt's, the redhead's eyes snapped open, his mouth stretching in a smile that led from one ear to the other. "Oh my god," He couldn't help but say aloud. "Did that just…"

Mello grinned. "Yeah."

"And you…?"

"Yeah."

Matt squinted at his roommate for a few moments, biting his lip. Once more, a smile overtook his face as he tilted his head to the side and admitted cheerfully, "You had me at bacon."

* * *

**A/N:** Payback is quite a bitch, Mello. ;)

So I felt kinda weird leaving off where I did in yesterday (or this morning, depending on where you are!)'s chapter, so I continued it with today's. :3

And now I'm off to do more algebra homework...

Thank you so much for reading and reviewing! I'm really glad you enjoy. :3

~Rachel


	13. At the Beginning

Wammy's seemed so big. The church steeple rose confidently into the early morning sky, in which birds flitted aimlessly. The wind whistled by, gently blowing newly named Mello's blonde bangs across disconcertingly cold blue eyes. A larger hand encompassed his small, six-year-old one, but he ripped it away, instead fastening it to the strap of his backpack. Roger Ruvie, the director and caretaker at the orphanage before them, only sighed and directed the boy forward. "Let's get you settled in."

And so Mello entered the one and only Wammy's House for Extraordinary Children. Having already been briefed on his situation on the ride there, he already knew what he was in for. Higher-leveled classes—those actually up to par with his abilities—good food, nice rooms…The one thing that struck his interests, though, was the purpose of this institution.

Supposedly, the school he was now attending had at one point, sprouted the most famous, most influential, and by far the best detective the world had ever seen—L. Now, years after his rise to success, this one particular orphanage, of the many that Quillsh Wammy founded, was allocated for the purpose of grooming these young, parentless geniuses to succeed L, to take on the title of World's Greatest Detective. It was a profession that brought fame, fortune, and admiration, with the price of a lifetime of secrecy and enemies.

Even at such a young age, Mello couldn't think of anything more he wanted, and so it became the sole purpose of his existence. As he passed through the cast iron gates of the old-fashioned building, Mello, previously known as Mihael, decided. _I'm going to be L someday._

Mello ignored the stares he gathered from the other kids of varying ages as he was led through the halls. He only stared forward, not a ghost of emotion passing before his eyes.

…Until, that is, he met his roommate.

Mr. Ruvie, after gently knocking on the door labeled _126_ pushed it open, as if the knock was only there for the purpose of alerting, rather than the asking of permission. Mello hoped that would change, for his sake.

Inside, a redheaded boy in a striped shirt and oversized goggles laid on the bottom of a set of bunk beds, holding his Gameboy high above his head. He seemed to be about Mello's age, given his height—_or rather, lack thereof_—Mello snorted as the kid lowered his game and stood up. "Mello, this is Matt, your roommate. Matt, Mello." Roger placed the small suitcase he held on the ground and patted the blonde child on the shoulder. "Matt will get you settled in." With that, the elderly man scuttled away, closing the door behind him.

The boys stared at each other silently for a few moments, daring each other to make the first move. Mello's slightly narrowed eyes remained glued to Matt's behind orange-tinted lenses. He could almost feel it as Matt scrutinized him, gathering information.

Finally, Matt drew a breath. "I'm sorry about your parents."

His eyebrows twitched together. "How did you know about them?" He completely ignored the other's solace. He didn't need _or_ want it. He shifted a bit, squaring his slim shoulders.

"This is an orphanage," The redhead's head tilted, and seemingly so did his whole body as he observed the other kid some more. He continued, "People don't just come here for their Christmas holiday."

Mello only clenched his jaw.

"So how'd it happen? Car wreck?" Matt stuffed his hands in his pockets.

"It was a boat."

"Mm, no," Matt squinted and shook his head. He pointed at Mello with a flick of his wrist. "Plane wreck."

Mello's short gasp of breath proved him correct, and he smirked. The blonde dropped his backpack beside him, knocking over the suitcase in the process. It fell to the carpeted floor with a _thump._ "How could you tell?"

"That you were lying? First off, your palms are sweating," Matt pointed out, moving by his new roommate to grab his sweatshirt from the hook behind him. "Then your eyes moved away when you said boat. I figured it was a wreck of some kind—your cheek is scraped and you have a bruise on your shoulder where a seat belt would have been." Mello's hand flew to his face and his clammy palm slid over the scab on his face and over his collar bone, revealed beneath his wide-necked shirt. Matt shrugged on the black hoodie and held his hands in the front pocket, waiting.

"Good eyes," was his only response.

Matt just shrugged. "These goggles aren't for nothing. I can read people like a book."

Anger began to bubble up in Mello's chest. Sure, he was the new kid on the block, but surely this kid would have more respect for a newcomer, who, as he had pointed out, just lost his parents. Mello had potential, but it was only just beginning to be acted upon. "So what, then? What else can you read from me, smart one?" The challenge was clear.

A slender finger tapped at Matt's chin. He hummed. "I think you like to win. You're threatened by me because I'm smarter than you." He paused. When Mello didn't say anything, he went on. "I'm number one here," Mello stiffened. "Even when compared to the older kids. But I just want you to know right now, that while I may have the best grades, I don't want to be a detective when I grow up, so you can feel free to pass me anytime. I won't be mad." He shook his head, as if reassuring Mello of his ability to succeed.

Mello's fist tightened. He wanted to punch this kid _so badly_, right in the face. For some reason or another, he held back, and soon the urge passed. He relaxed, a breath escaping his lips. "Okay." He picked up his bag, moving over to the empty desk that was on one side of the room, and began to unpack his belongings.

"You know what, Mello?" The blonde didn't look up from the collection of notebooks he'd been supplied with. Matt continued anyway. "I like you."

X

The atmosphere was thick with smoke in the small pub in Los Angeles. The young man sitting in the corner booth only added to it through the glowing tip of his cigarette. It glowed bright orange as he inhaled, cinders clinging to the end of the light before he flicked them off and into the ashtray on the table. He let out a smoky breath as he took a sip of the root beer he'd ordered earlier, driving the smoldering tip out.

His eyes fell on a dark character weaving his way through the crowd. Feathers spewed from the hem of his hood and bright blonde hair peeked out from under the black fabric. The redhead in the corner snorted under his breath. "Feathers, Mel? Really?" He murmured to himself, shifting in his seat as his old friend approached.

He stopped at the edge of the table and easily slid into the seat across from him. Matt took in his drastically changed appearance since the fourteen-year-old kid he had last seen. The golden hair had darkened slightly, his clear blue eyes darkened with the gruesome experiences they had seen. And then there was the scar.

On the other end of the table, Mello scrutinized his old best friend, too. The freckles he used to find a weird fascination with had faded slightly, but remained on the redhead's face, as if they were a mark of his identity. Matt's red hair was also a bit darker, with a more noticeable brown tint. His goggled eyes stayed the same, however. Not a thing in the world would ever change that.

They held each other's gaze, hands folded on the table, for almost a full minute. Matt thought back to the first time they had met. Even back then, they had both been afraid to break the silence, even if this time, the silence was limited to their table. Loud, drunken karaoke resonated throughout the pub, emanating from another room.

Matt drew a breath, and Mello listened eagerly. His lips moved slowly, a he'd been holding back now apparent, "Sorry about your parents."

The thin ice layering the two old friends shattered with the poignant sentence from a memory long past. Shrugging his hood off, Mello grinned through the face-consuming, textured burn scar marring the left side of his otherwise perfect complexion. "How did you know?"

"That you were thinking that? Easy." Matt's gloved fingers rapped at the table between them before pointing at the other's hands. "You were running your finger along your palm as if remembering a time when your hands were sweating. Your eyes were also glazed." He shifted in his seat, smiling, "And I know my best friend."

Mello exhaled in a breathy laugh. He took Matt's soda in his hands and sipped at it before cringing. "Fucking root beer." He raised his voice and waved at the waitress strolling by. "Could I get a sprite over here? Thanks." His eyes returned to the redhead before him. "So, how's life been treating you?"

Matt nodded, rolling his eyes, "Same as always. It sucks." He reached for his drink.

"Yeah, but I hear some people like that." The redhead snorted, almost inhaling his current mouthful of soda. He squeezed his nose as Mello outright laughed at him. "You're such a dork."

"Oh yeah, that's why I'm a pimp now," He sat back, winking at a young-looking girl on her way by their table. She blushed and giggled.

Mello rolled his eyes. "Yeah, right. The only girl you've ever gotten into your bed was that spider, just before Thanksgiving before I left."

Matt just shuddered. "God, don't remind me."

"Homosexuality is a self-truth that must be confronted," Mello mumbled through a smile as the waitress approached with his drink. "Thanks." He plucked the paper wrapper from the tip of the straw and took a sip.

Matt only simmered and grumbled, "Asshole."

Releasing his straw, Mello cleared his throat. "At least now you know not much has changed."

He could only shrug, lighting up another cigarette. "I'm just kind of bummed things will never be how they used to be." He took a long drag. Mello glanced down at his gloved fingers. He began to tear up the paper of his straw wrapper as he waited for Matt to sigh a stream of smoke. "I mean, we're never gonna be how we used to be. We can't sit there and play videogames after big exams, because that's the only time you ever let up studying. Now," he paused and sighed. Mello lifted his head. "Now, we've got a timetable. Now we've got a goal that you're probably going to kill yourself in the process of achieving. We don't have time anymore to be best friends like we used to be."

Mello just hummed under his breath and sat back in the booth. "I know. I know that better than you'd think."

"Do you."

"Yeah."

The karaoke in the background paused, finally ending the unbearable drunken chortling that was supposed to be NSYNC. Another patron of the pub, one thankfully less smashed, stepped up and began to sing in a much better voice the Lion King opening theme. Mello glanced at them before returning to stare at his drink. "Anyway, that's all behind us." He cleared his throat, coping with the smoke drifting around them. "Still best friends?"

Matt put his cigarette to his lips again. After another inhale, he lowered it, speaking through the smoke escaping from his lungs, "You know what, Mello?" He mumbled in the same fashion he had as when they first met. He let out the rest of his breath, though Mello didn't reply. The redhead just went on, "I love you."

Mello's blue irises were fully revealed as his eyes widened, eyebrows bouncing to the top of his forehead behind bangs. He ignored the stiff movement in the left side of his face from the scar as he leaned over the table. "_What did you say?_"

"I said I love you. It's been way too long. I should have told you way back at Wammy's, but I didn't. The feeling hasn't left, even after all these years. I want to be more than just best friends," Matt's face was dusted the slightest shade of red, and the butterflies in his stomach fluttered, and his cigarette wasn't helping his nerves. It was make or break at this moment. "What do you say?"

"What do I _say?_" Matt held his breath. Did he make a mistake in telling him now? It was, after all, their first meeting in five years. It was almost the same as when they first met—the two barely knew anything about each other anymore, except from what could be inferred by appearance and behavior. Although, Matt hoped, their years of friendship would give them an upper hand now.

Mello rubbed his face, his gloved hand sliding over his face as he visually contemplated what the redhead before him had just announced, out in the open. He turned his head away, glancing around the pub. The karaoke singer had segued into a complete Lion King medley. One rather intoxicated guy bopped by, bellowing joyfully, "Flamingos in pink pajamas! Flamingos in pink pajamas!" Mello shook his head and looked back to Matt. His old best friend had followed his gaze, and their eyes met. Matt could only convey as much of his eagerly apprehensive emotion through his eyes as was humanly possible.

"I say…" Matt stopped breathing again, biting his tongue. "I say why the hell didn't you tell me back then?!"

The hacker let out his breath. "I just found too many reasons not to. I wouldn't admit it to myself at first. Then you were such a religious nut I thought you'd disown me as your best friend and roommate if I even told you I was gay. You wouldn't like me back. You'd request a room change." He shrugged. "Like I said, too many reasons."

"None of which hold any real worth," The blonde's jaw went slack.

A slightly confused look flashed across Matt's face. "So what does that mean? I mean…?" He left the question hanging in the smoky air, his palms turned upward on the table.

"It means…" Mello stared at the surface before them, eyes wandering over the grain in the varnished wood. His mouth fell open as he shook his head, searching for the words. He stopped and glanced up, his blonde bangs falling in front of his eyes.

Before Matt could insist and answer, Mello leaned across the table and gently pressed their lips together. The redhead's fingers went slack with surprise, and his cigarette tumbled from his hand and into the glass ash tray. He kissed back, tilting his head and leaning forward eagerly.

"Whoo, guys, get a room," A young guy with a martini glass groaned at them as he strolled by. Matt and Mello, in unison and without separating, lifted their middle fingers together. The guy just scoffed and moved away, sighing under his breath, "Fags."

Matt pulled back, panting for breath. "Well then. I guess I know the answer to _that_ question."

"Oh, shut up." Mello only fisted Matt's shirt and pulled him back into his lips.

* * *

**A/N: **Oh my god guys, I'm so sorry for disappearing off the face of the earth for a couple days there. :o I've been sick most of this week and consequently my muse has been in the dumps. No joke; this chapter took me all week to write. ;_; But fear not, for I have returned with an extra-long apology chapter! :3 What do you think? :D

Thanks so much for reading everybody, and for putting up with my spontaneous sick days. :B

~Rachel


	14. More Like Spansex

"For justice."

I lowered the black plastic mask onto my face, staring back at my blue eyes that peeked from behind it. The floor-length mirror on the back of the door reflected the image of a grey spandex-covered thirteen-year-old boy and a black and gold bat symbol on my chest. I grabbed my long black cape from either side, pulling it around myself. "Oh yes." I threw it behind me, turning back to the rest of my shared room. I glanced at the clock. Trick-or-treating would begin soon. I and my Batman self crossed the room and leaned on the bathroom door beside the closet. "Matt, hurry your ass up in there!" I rapped impatiently on the door.

I barely had time to step away from the door before it flew open and Matt bounced out, a flash of red, green, and yellow. He spun around, the yellow cape around his neck flowing behind him. He saluted, almost hitting the green mask that covered his eyes. "Robin, at your service!"

I just stared. My palm lifted, almost of its own accord, and slammed itself into the plastic of my Batman mask. "That's why you didn't tell me about your costume."

"Nope. I had a feeling you'd hit me if I told you."

"I still might hit you."

"Or you could _not_." He pulled at his belt, snapping the green leggings he was wearing beneath it. "But look! Spandex!" _Snap!_

I lifted my eyebrows and scrutinized my best friend. "Aha." I glanced down at my own costume and crossed my arms over my fun foam abs. "Mine's better."

Matt reached up and tucked a lock of blonde hair behind my hood. "Superheroes always win out in the end. You don't see many kick-ass sidekicks anymore," He grumbled, stepping back. He leaned against the edge of our set of bunk beds and beamed.

There was a silence as the two of us stood there, I observing Matt, and Matt just smiling. "Is that washable?" My finger poked up from his crossed arms, pointing in the general direction of Matt's head.

"Huh? Oh, yeah," The redhead groped his hair. "It's just temporary spray." It had been gelled up, twisted in the front, and momentarily dyed black.

"And you're wearing contacts, right?"

Matt's usual dorky goggles were gone, and his dark blue eyes were bare. "Well, if I wasn't, I'd likely be falling over right about now." My roommate's issues with his vision and balance were long-lived. He could barely see his hand in front of his face without his thick goggles or high-prescription contact lenses. Made him pretty useless without them, actually. I shrugged.

"Huh." My eyes remained trained on Matt.

"What?" He looked himself over in response to my unmoving gaze. "Do I have paint on me?"

I gave a short, unexpressive shake of my head. "You know a ton of people think Batman and Robin are gay, right? And they'll think we're together too? It's not _cool_ to have matching costumes with your roommate, you know. Not unless, you know." My hands fell away from my chest, returning to my sides.

Matt only shrugged. "Who cares? Isn't that ship canon?"

"What?! No!" I adjusted my mask, hoping it covered my face enough to obscure the pink flush that was tinting my cheeks below it.

The redhead squinted at me, smirking below his own mask. "You're blushing."

My breath almost caught in my throat, and I stammered, "N-no I am _not_."

Suddenly two white rows of teeth showed themselves to me. "Yes you are!" Matt was way too excited, and he bounced up and down, pointing at me. "_Are you?_" Without waiting for my reply, he only squeaked, "You are! I knew it. You love me. That's it—_oof!_"

My fist was in his stomach. I couldn't help it; it flew there itself! He doubled over my hand, his startled exhale transitioning to a breathy laugh. He gasped and outright cackled at me. I grasped his stretchy red outfit and pulled him close to me. I hissed intimidatingly in his face, "_Shut the fuck up._"

And then I kissed him. He just laughed through it, but I noticed that he didn't pull away. Although, I realized, that may have been because of my grip on his shirt. But even when I let him go, he only knocked his forehead against mine and kissed me again.

Alright. I admit it. I melted. Batman's face was bright red. There was no hiding it anymore. But it was perfectly okay, because so was Robin's. He fell from his tiptoes and I glared down at him, silently cursing his lack of height. "Alright," He smiled cheekily at me. "So just putting this out there in case you didn't notice, but I like you too."

"No shit?"

"And uh," He grinned at me, "Trick-or-treating is starting." He winked and snatched up his pillowcase from the bed and dashed out the door.

_Damn he looks good in Spandex._

* * *

**A/N:** This chapter was inspired by my reviewers Carottal and lolgreeness. You didn't have any buttons in your mouth this time, did you? Hahaha! This is for you guys. :)

I might not be too much of a comic fan, but even so this was fun. ;)

I hope you enjoyed this as much as I did! Thanks so much for reading, and hopefully reviewing too. ;3

~Rachel!


	15. Here's a Song

"Hmm, huh, huh, hmm," Matt clicked his tongue, humming all the while. His earbuds blasted music into his ears from his laptop as he played Tetris. His fingers flew over the keyboard as he narrowly resisted blurting out the words to whatever song he was listening to.

Mello sat at his desk, behind the redhead on his bottom bunk, attempting to study. Unfortunately the blonde preferred silence while burying his nose in his textbooks, and Matt certainly wasn't helping with his incessant keyboard clicking and forced, throaty humming.

_Happy place, Mel._ He closed his eyes, trying to embrace the trigonometry within him. _Cosine of forty-three radians is point five, five, five, one._ " Oh, hm hm hm hm!" _No wait, that's in degrees. Point seven three one three._ "Duh uh hmmm!"

_Slam!_ Matt started at the noise, his fingers pulling away instantaneously from his keyboard. Good thing the timer just ran out on his game. He peered at his roommate around the bedpost nervously. Mello snapped his head to the side, glaring right back at him with icy eyes. "What song are you listening to that is making you produce such ungodly noises?!"

"Uhh," Matt minimized his browser with a tap of his finger, returning to the paper he was supposed to be working on. "A song."

The blonde stood up and stalked across the room. "Which one?"

"A fucking _song,_ don't worry about it!" Matt cradled his laptop, trying desperately to protect it in advance from Mello's coming wrath. The music continued in his ears, uninhibited.

"Bullshit." Mello only leaned down and, after a brief tousle, managed to yank the bright green headphones from the jack on the side of the computer. The poppy, upbeat rhythm echoed throughout the room.

"_Oh! Knees weak, can't speak. I'm st-st-stuck on repeat! I'm thinking 'bout her eight days a week, it's not enough for me, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh oh!"_ An incredulous look came over Mello's face. His jaw hung open, staring at Matt tiredly. He just gave a shaky smile and a shrug. "_Because I'm tongue-tied. I can't find the words to say that I-I need you by my side. But I'm terrified just to talk to you. I won't be satisfied until I'm tongue-tied—"_ The chorus went around one more time before finally ending with, "_Until I'm tongue-tied with you."_

"Really? Stereo Skyline?"

Matt just gave another shrug. His mouth hung open, trying to find some words that wouldn't be completely incriminating to his reputation. "I—uh—I'm… tongue tied?"

"Not with me," Mello dropped Matt's headphones on his lap. "Now shut up so I can study."

Matt dropped his head and typed away at his computer for a moment. Mello settled back into his desk. Suddenly, soft music came from his laptop. The redhead skipped the intro, letting the words blare into their shared bedroom, "_Baby come back! Any kind of fool could see there was something in everything about you."_

Mello's forehead fell onto his desk. "I hate you."

Matt cut off the music, typing another song into the YouTube search bar. After a moment or two, he muted his computer and skipped to the right part before turning the volume back up, "_Don't hate me 'cause I'm beautiful."_

"Wrong. I hate you because you're an asshole."

Yet again, Matt responded a few moments later by song. "_Do you love me? Do you wanna be my friend? Well then don't be afraid to take me by the hand if you want to. I think this is how love goes. Check yes or no."_

"Uh, check your playlist there, bud."

"I meant to play that," was his simple, completely serious reply.

"You _did?_" Mello's hand fell away from his forehead, Trigonometry long forgotten. Mello's eyes fell wide open. "Uh…" He fumbled for his MP3 player, which was resting peacefully on his desk. He powered it on and scrolled through the songs, until he came to the one he was looking for. He threw it at Matt, returning to stare at his books, blushing profoundly all the while.

Matt looked at the screen, beaming as hugely as the muscles in his face would allow him.

_Check Yes Juliet._

He glanced up, but Mello was already there. He rested his knee on the side of the bed and pushed himself forward, onto his roommate's lips. Matt smiled, locking his lips onto the blonde's. Mello swiped his tongue over the redhead's open mouth, curling it around his. He pulled back a few moments later, smiling. "What was that you said about tongue tied?"

* * *

**A/N:** The songs I used for this, in order, are:

Tongue-Tied by Stereo Skyline

Baby Come Back by Player

Don't Hate Me Because I'm Beautiful by Keri Hilson

Check Yes or No by George Strait

And Check Yes Juliet by We the Kings

Fun fact: I kinda have this huge crush on Travis Clark from We the Kings. What can I say? Gingers attract I guess. ;3 BUT UGH OH MY GOSH THAT VOICE AND THOSE LIPS I MEAN COME ON *o*

Okay. Done fangirling.

This chapter's pretty short, but I think it's fun nonetheless! :) This was inspired by my lovely buddy Kale. :3 It was inspired by your preview. C;

Oh, and for the record, feel free to suggest future chapters. :3 Extra ideas are always helpful when doing a project like this. :) Thanks so much for reading, and reviewing too!

(Pssst, your wish is my command, Guest Kalina V. Graves. ;3)

~Rachel


	16. Thanks for the Memories

"So, what are _you_ thankful for?" Matt asked, hanging over the edge of the top bunk.

Mello, sitting below at his desk with a notebook, pen, and a slice of chocolate pudding pie, spun around in his chair and looked at his roommate. "First off, why are you on my bed?"

"It's comfy."

The blonde just rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Second, why are you so into American holidays? You're from Australia and we live in Winchester, England."

Matt pulled himself up, flipping over. He propped his chin up with his hands and shrugged, as much as his position would allow. "I don't know. They're just cool." His feet kicked the air behind him. "Makes us actually think about what's really important to us."

"Aha." He turned back to writing.

"So? What, then? What are you thankful for?" Matt persisted.

Mello stuffed a spoonful of the pudding into his mouth. He mumbled around the utensil, "Well, this pie for one." Matt chuckled. The blonde dropped his spoon back on his desk. He scrutinized the piece of pie. "Wammy's House. Chocolate." He paused for a moment, thinking. "Near, too. Much as I hate his smug little ass… I can't imagine not having competition here. Without him for me to work toward, I'd have no reason to test myself like I do. I'd be so bored, so _miserable_ if I could just work normally and still maintain first place. I don't want anything I don't have to work for, and without Near, I wouldn't have to work to be number one, so I wouldn't want to be." He poked at his pie with his spoon.

"I think that's one of the first times I've ever heard you talk about Near without insulting him more than five times." Matt was genuinely surprised, and he peered at his roommate. "Who are you and where's Mello?"

"Tell _anyone_ what I just said and I will murder you."

"Oh, there he is."

"Oh, shut up smartass, you're in that list too," Mello sighed and sat back in his chair, glancing over the page in his notebook before him.

Matt slapped his cheek. "Aw, I'm touched! You may now rant about how awesome I am."

Mello rolled his eyes, his fingers tightening around his notebook. "Or, I can just say that you're a lazy fucking smart aleck that happens to be my roommate and leave it at that."

"No!" Matt dropped his hands. "I want to know! Why don't you kick me out? What makes you restrain yourself from beating me up like you do with some other kids?"

"Well, first of all, I know about your family and I don't want to trigger any bad memories."

"Oh." With nothing more to say, Matt just shrugged, a small frown on his lips. He pulled himself up and sat cross-legged, his hair barely brushing the ceiling. He grabbed one of Mello's pillows and hugged it, thinking about the rather abusive family he'd belonged to until he was nine.

Mello tossed his notebook onto his desk with a _slap _and rested his hands on his knees. "You're so laid back. I only wish I could be like that. I know I want to have to work to achieve what I want, but I'm just pushing myself too far." Matt nodded along. He couldn't count how many times he'd found Mello asleep on his desk, black rings around his eyes from a long night of nonstop studying, only in the one short year he'd been there.

"But you? Matt, I've known you for a _year._ You're the one who keeps me afloat now. You force me into bed when I haven't slept in days. You crack jokes and make me laugh when I'm about to break down from stress and exhaustion. Before you got here, I dealt with all of that myself. Now I have help from you. So, thanks."

They were silent for a while. Mello's words were replayed in both of their heads. Matt stared at the edge of the blonde's bed, his chin resting on the pillow in his lap. Mello examined his clean fingernails, until he worked up the courage to ask, "What about you?"

"Huh? Oh, um…" The redhead thought for a moment, squishing his chin back into the pillow. "Definitely video games. LED screens on handheld systems. Memory sticks. My laptop." Mello grinned. "But in complete seriousness," The blonde's smile faded, listening to the other speak, "Wammy's House in general. It's been really nice to have a constant roof over my head in the last year or so. That didn't happen too often before then."

Mello nodded solemnly. "I always had somewhere to go home to. I don't know what that's like," he admitted.

"Trust me, you don't want to." He shook his head. "Anyway, I just find it amazing how much I know you with how short a time I've been here, and how much of an impact I've had on you. I always thought that I was just that kid that nobody likes. That's who I've always been. I'm used to people hating me, so for you to say something like that, that you're actually _thankful_ for me?" He swallowed the lump in his throat, his voice cracking slightly. "I don't really know how to react."

"Matt," Mello said, a tired warning in his voice.

"I know, I know, I sound like a whiny little girl." He continued anyway. "But you've made me feel as if I really belong here, as if this is really my home. You give me a reason to stay here and not run away like I have every other orphanage I've been to."

"Matt, don't." Mello stood up and shoved his chair into his desk.  
"I'm serious. I never had many friends, and you're really the first, so I don't know how normal this is but I really can't be thankful enough for all that you and Wammy's House have done for me." He dug at his eye, trying to use up the tears collecting there. "Shit. I'm sorry." Matt threw the pillow back toward the top of his bed and climbed down. Mello watched him, until he was finally standing before him. "Thank you _so_ much for everything. And please don't stop being my friend. It's just—"

Mello stepped forward suddenly and kissed him. Matt jumped back involuntarily and stared at Mello, his heart racing and hands trembling. The blonde just bit his lip. "I told you to stop."

"I—uh—oh, god." He fell back, collapsing onto the edge of his own bed. He ran his fingers through his hair and concentrated mainly on _breathing_ before actually thinking about what just happened. "Oh my god," he mumbled. He glanced up, meeting eye with Mello, who only stood there, heart pulsing with adrenaline. "I'm sorry." He took a deep, steeling breath. "I—That's—that's not normal between friends, is it?"

Mello held his breath. "Uh, not generally, no." He scratched the back of his head. "Sorry."

Matt sprung from his seat on the edge of his bed, narrowly missing slamming his head into the top bunk. "Don't be sorry! I, uh, actually… kind of liked that, you know."

"Wait, you di—" Matt stifled his question with his lips. Mello just closed his eyes and kissed him back, his hands grasping at his roommate's wrists.

"I did. And I hope you did, too, because I'd like more of those." The redhead tilted his head and smiled cheekily.

Mello contemplated for a moment before mumbling, "Can't complain," as he dove in for another kiss.

* * *

**A/N:** So I've started reading this web comic as per the advice of one of my brother's friends. It resulted in hours of nonstop reading and a drastic loss of brain function. I'm not really sorry. ;3

Anywho, hope you had a fantastic Turkey Day, and if you're not from the U.S., well, it's probably Friday there. ^_^ I should really stop updating in the middle of the night...

AND WHOA, 103 REVIEWS GUYS. Thank you all so much, I really don't know how to react about the popularity of this in just three weeks. ^_^" I'm a bad updater too; I just don't know what you guys see in my. ;3 Thank you all so much for reading and reviewing, too! :D

See you all tomorrow, even though it's already here! :D

~Rachel


	17. Fort Hyrule

It was the middle of the night.

The darkness of the room left everything tinted an odd shade of blue or gray.

The only thing breaking the silence was quiet whispering, and the only thing illuminating the darkness was the muffled light of a flashlight behind a blanket. A thick comforter hung from the top bunk, which was cold and empty, and tucked into the bottom bunk below. Behind the blanket, in the fort-like creation they had crafted, Matt was harboring an escapee of the top bunk. Mello sat cross-legged in plaid-pattered pajama pants and a T-shirt across from his best friend.

Matt picked at his Yoshi pants, flicking a bit of green lint into the crack against the wall. "Do you really want to know?"

"I'll tell you who I like if you tell me who you like. It's an even trade," Mello squeezed the overstuffed down pillow in his lap. "We can say it at the same time if you want."

The eleven-year-old took a breath, glancing at the bunk above him. "You pinky swear to not mess with this and _actually_ say it?" He held out his hand, baby finger raised.

Mello hooked his finger around his. "Promise."

"Okay." Matt took a steeling breath. "Ready? One."

"Two."

"Three."

"You."

"Linda—wait, _what?_"

"Uh, _what?" _Mello's eyes bulged and as his face flushed red.

Matt shook his head, mirroring his shocked look. They had spoken simultaneously, and also reacted simultaneously. "No, wait, I mean—" He gritted his teeth and growled out a rapid sigh. Mello, too dumbfounded to say anything, just sat there, attracting flies with his gaping mouth. Matt scrambled for something semi-intelligent to say. "Did you really mean that, I mean?" He could feel the huge dump of adrenaline in his veins as his hands began to shake, his stomach flooding with butterflies.

"Does the fact that my skin currently matches your hair have any great meaning to you?" The blonde swallowed hard, just barely choking out the words. He squeezed his eyes shut and stuffed his face into the pillow in his lap, trying his very hardest to erase the red from it.

The redhead gave a nervous chuckle. "Heh, yeah, about that…" He wringed his hands together, lungs heaving.

"So you really like Linda and I just freaking…" Mello trailed off, shaking his head. He dug his fingernails through his hair, the pillow in his lap flopping over without his grip. He threw his head back, growling at the top bunk.

"Mello—" Matt tried to catch his attention, bouncing forward on his haunches. He was cut off.

"Tell anyone and I will murder you." Mello's head snapped down to stare intimidatingly at his roommate, eyes narrowed to cold irises.

"Mello!" Without giving time for another interruption, Matt fell forward, smashing his lips into his best friend's.

_ Smooch._

Mello fell backward, landing on the pile of extra blankets that was stacked at the end of his bed, a bewildered look splattering his face. "Wait, didn't you—did you—I thought—"

"I only said I liked Linda because I thought it would be weird, you know, for a guy like me to like a guy like you…"

"Idiot."

Matt shrugged, staring at the blanket that hung from the top bunk. His eyes wandered back to Mello. "…I know." With a huge sigh of relief, Mello fisted his T-shirt and kissed him again.

* * *

**A/N: **Wow, I really feel sorry for how short that was. o.o I'll hopefully get back to a longer chapter soon now that my lazy days after Thanksgiving are behind me. ;3

Hope you enjoyed this short and sweet little chapter! :D

~Rachel


	18. Bear Grylls

There was something about having a roommate, someone living in the same space as me, that's never really stricken my fancies. I would most likely punch anybody I know in the throat after seeing them every time I came home from work for more than a week. Only one person has managed to escape that fate, and that's my old Wammy's roommate, Matt.

While I've been out here in L.A., working on the Kira case, I've done some pretty stupid things. I'll admit it. I've gotten involved with the Mafia, high up in the ranks now. I've kidnapped the daughter of the chief of the Task Force dedicated to the Kira investigation of the NPA. I've met a shinigami. Just recently, I blew up a building—while I was still in it.

After my latest escapade, I was down and out of the fight for a while. So, to help me out with both my recovery and the case later on, I requested the one person I knew I wouldn't punch in the throat if they came to live with me.

I heard the screech of a police car's sirens as it took off in the opposite direction down the street I was walking along. For a moment, the thick L.A. traffic parted like the Red Sea and the car zoomed by. I stalked along as confidently as ever, brown paper bag in my hand. I had needed to stock up on my wine and chocolate stash, that Matt had so conveniently for him run down. I had only been living with him for two weeks since our five-year separation after I left Wammy's, and already he thought he could eat my chocolate. The glass of ice water on his head this morning taught him differently. But hey, at least it's not a fist to the trachea, right?

And so I left him alone all day. In my home. Alone. _All day._ Only now does it strike me as completely irresponsible, like leaving a puppy alone from dawn to dusk. You're gonna come home to a mess or two on the kitchen floor when you walk in the door at almost midnight.

I trucked the bag in my hand up the stairs to the apartment I now shared with my old roommate from my childhood at Wammy's. I fiddled with the lock for a moment, finally finding my key and letting myself in. I kicked my boots off and stretched my toes. Freedom at last.

My relatively soundproof apartment hid the blasting background music of Super Smash Brothers Brawl. It wasn't quite loud enough, however, to block out the moans.

I set my bag down on the cluttered side table near the door. Without hesitation, I drew my Beretta and stalked around the corner with a warning loud enough to be heard clearly over the Latin chanting, "_Matt!_" Granted, I didn't actually plan on _using_ my handgun unless absolutely necessary, or if I needed to scare some stupid habit out of my old best friend.

The barrel of my gun stared at some stranger sitting on my couch across the room. I had no fucking idea who this guy was. His previously closed eyes snapped open and his moan turned to a startled shout. Alright, _startled_ might be a bit of an understatement. The guy was scared shitless.

All I could immediately discern at first of Matt was his fiery red hair, conveniently placed between what's-his-face's legs. When he realized his, uh, _friend's_ attention had been called elsewhere in a rather loud manner, he fell back onto his ass, saliva clinging to his lips. He stood, casually wiping his mouth as whoever that was scrambled to button his jeans.

"Are you fucking serious?" I raised my voice at Matt, slamming my free hand down onto the TV, ceasing the obnoxious theme. He just stuffed his hands in his pockets. I shot a glare to the stranger. "Get the fuck out of my house," as I pointed sternly toward the door.

Stammering incomprehensibly, he grabbed his jacket and with a speechless glance at Matt, disappeared from my home. I heard the door close as I shifted my attention to my old roommate, sliding my handgun back into the waistband of my leather pants. "What. The. Fuck."

Matt just shrugged his usual half-caring shrug. "I picked him up at the bar earlier while you were gone."

"_Nice._" My face remained stony. For once, I was thankful for my intimidating appearance, my scar glaring dauntingly at the redhead before me. Unfortunately, Matt could bitch out Rod Ross and not even blink when he shot his head off. Of course, I posed more of a threat to Matt than my Mafia boss at any given moment, but he didn't care. He had balls of steel in any case.

"You fucking interrupted before I even got any." You can see where his priorities laid. Pun quite intended. He bent over, tossing the pillows that had been scattered about the floor back onto the sofa.

I watched him, shaking my head slowly. "On my _couch! _And with a guy? Really?" I gestured to the poor, violated piece of furniture with both hands. "Since when were you into fucking guys?"

"Uh, since we were fourteen?" Matt shook his head, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. In case you hadn't noticed, this was the first I'd heard of this. I must have missed the memo. At my disbelieving look, he rolled his eyes like the teenager he still was and drawled, "You left before I really decided on it."

Oh. So I _had_ missed the memo. "But wait," I held my hand out, silencing him, "Didn't you and Linda have something going on when I left?" He and the now-notorious artist had—at least, I _thought_—maintained an underground relationship, behind Roger's back.

He only shrugged. "It didn't work out. I kinda felt bad leaving her as the one who 'turned me gay' but whatever. We had sex once and I hated it. Guys are fine—okay, let's stop talking about my love life. It's none of your business." The redhead stalked off into the bathroom.

I called after him, "I wish he'd gone limp and pissed in your mouth!" I eyed the couch before slipping into my room. I flopped down onto the bed, staring up at the white ceiling. The breath fell from my lips as I just laid there, too lazy to roll of the queen-sized mattress and change. I found my eyes slipping closed as I tried to shake the image of Matt giving some random guy head from my mind's eye. It worked for a while, until I heard a quiet knock on my door.

I struggled to a seated position, my legs dysfunctional from the short nap I'd taken. I glanced at the clock. It was ten after midnight. "What?"

The door was pushed slowly open from the outside. Matt stood, leaning in the doorway, staring at his feet. "I lied."

"Wait, _what_ did you lie about?" Even as second place of Wammy's House, I couldn't figure out what in Hell he was talking about.

"About my love life. It _is_ your business." He kicked at the threshold between the main living room and my bedroom.

I was thoroughly confused now. "What the fuck are you saying?"

He looked up at me, his goggles hanging around his neck. For once, his dark blue eyes stared me down, uninhibited. "What I'm trying to say is I love you, Mel." I stopped, dumbfounded. How could _Matt,_ of all people, love _me?_ He knew all of my dirty little secrets, all of the things I know if anybody else were to know, they wouldn't want a thing to do with me.

The only thing he didn't know was that I loved him back, and that was about to change. "I love you too." The words sounded clumsy and cumbersome coming from my mouth, and I could feel my face slowly heating as I said them. I watched Matt anxiously, until the corner of his mouth twitched into a grin.

Without another word, he stalked across the room and just took me into his arms, pressing his lips against mine passionately. I cringed in my head, thinking where they'd just been, but relaxed when his minty-fresh tongue licked my bottom lip.

I gripped him by the long sleeves of his T-shirt and dragged him over me and onto the other half of my rather huge bed. He rolled over me, only barely leaving my lips. I breathed heavily through my nose, pulling him as close to me as possible. He gladly complied.

After a few minutes of fast-paced, haphazard kissing, Matt pried himself away from me. He knocked his forehead against mine and panted, "Five years," he swallowed, "Five years I've been waiting for this."

I stared at him, the light, icy blue of my eyes reflecting in his deep navy ones. I nodded, our breath mingling between us, streaming from smiling mouths, "Yeah, sounds about right."

"You're such an asshole for making me wait that long." Matt only silenced me with his lips again, and my stomach flipped. He wouldn't even let me mumble an apologetic "sorry."

_But then again, _I thought, smirking through his kisses, _I'm not complaining._

* * *

**A/N:** I'm so sorry for the spontaneous week-long poof again! D: With basketball season starting, I haven't found myself home long enough to type up everything I scribble down in my notebook during school. But here's a chapter nonetheless! :D

I hope you enjoyed, and thanks so much for taking the time to read this! :D

~Rachel


	19. Simple Slip

"I, personally, just think he had a misguided upbringing with too little attention as a child, so now he is trying to make up for it by proving to everybody that he can do whatever he wants. His dislike for me only extrapolates from that."

I rolled my eyes, not moving my head from its perfect viewing position of the Gameboy in my hands. "Of course you'd think that. Mel was right on at least one account—you _can_ be an arrogant prick, I'll give him that. Why can't you just accept that maybe he doesn't like you because of who you are?"

The albino kid I had been speaking to only stared emotionlessly at me. "Because. He does not know me. He has barely taken the time to speak to me other than the nasty remarks he spits at me around finals time. He has not been around me enough to dislike me because of my personality." He placed another domino atop the small stack he'd already accumulated on the floor before him.

"Or lack thereof," I mumbled under my breath, accepting the fact that my princess was in another castle. I tapped on the button until Mario jumped away. One of these days, I wish he'd just punch Toad in the face.

"How do you mean?"

"Mello's an intense person. Anyone can see that," I started out, stomping atop the first Goomba of this course. "And one would expect that he'd only really warm up to someone similar to him, personality-wise. Now, _I_ have personality. I'm lazy, pretty much an asshole, and fucking hilarious. But you, Near?" I shrugged. "You, to Mello and to almost everyone else I know, are just that narcissistic little albino boy who sits in the front of the class and twirls his hair. You don't make jokes. You don't speak unless spoken to. And when you _do_ speak, that monotone of yours sounds unbearably smug, like you can't believe everyone else didn't come up with the same answer you did." I paused and lowered my game, giving him a frank, goggled look.

Near just paused his domino fortress building and stared at the ground. His finger traced aimlessly over a pattern that wasn't there on the smooth, spongy flooring. His unchanging face shifted, surprisingly enough into a slight frown. I felt a sudden jab of pity for him. I placed my Gameboy on the ground and laid a hand on his shoulder. "Sorry. It's kind of the truth though."

Near only brushed my hand away from him. "Don't be sorry. It _is _the truth. As his roommate, you should know best, is that correct?"

I snorted, pulling my feet closer to me. "I should hope so. Although with Mello, it's pretty hard to tell exactly what he's thinking. Like, he could be sitting there, staring off into space with a grimace on his face, and I'll think that he's ruminating on you and his inferiority complex or something, but then he snaps out of it and it's really that he was just wondering when we were going into town again, that he was almost out of chocolate." I paused, glancing at Near again, but he only stared at his dominoes, unspeaking.

"If you _really_ want to be friends with him, you can't keep pussyfooting around the bush like this," I gave him another frank glare. "Just tell him what you're thinking. Don't hold anything back; he'd appreciate openness, even from you. Secrets don't keep friends. Open up. You did that with me, why can't you do that with him?"

Near shrugged, his neck receding into the collar of his white shirt like a turtle into a shell. "He's… intimidating."

I rolled my eyes. "Honestly, he's a huge teddy bear underneath that whole thorny armor of his. But I won't tell you any more than that; it's _your_ job to get to know him. Not mine to tell you about him."

"I appreciate your honesty, Matt. Thank you."

"Yeah," I spun around to my knees, rising from the floor. "Just don't expect him to be all buddy-buddy with you. Probably ever. I'm never giving up that spot." I reached to the ceiling my Gameboy in hand.

"What spot, exactly?" Near looked up at me, a hand placed protectively behind his domino sculpture.

I cleared my throat, pocketing my Gameboy. "The spot of Mello's best friend. He tells me everything, and I'm damn proud of that. I don't care how nice you are under your lack of emotion, he's still mine—Uh_, don't_ tell him I said that."

Near only paused, glaring up at me. "Whatever happened to openness?"

I could only scoff. "Well, now that we're done psychoanalyzing my best friend, I'm out of here. Good fucking luck." I booked it out of there as coolly and as casually as I could. I could feel that little sheep's creepy gray eyes following me all the while.

I'd almost let it out. Mello was always more than a best friend to me—I loved him. Maybe not from the first day we met, but definitely by the end of our first year living together. Even then, it didn't grown into anything even semi-romantic for another year after that. Add another three months or so for the time it took me to accept it, and that was two and a half years ago.

Of course, I had to keep that from him. He was way too high-strung for anything stressful like his roommate and best friend being gay, much less in love with him right about now. Or any time, really.

Or, I'm just afraid to tell him how I feel. That's possible, too.

.

The next day, I meandered through the hallways, making my way back to my room after classes got out. I still had another three hours till dinner, so I was contemplating what I'd do in that time as I hugged the wall, eyes glued to my Gameboy. Maybe some Gamecube. Super Monkey Ball. I was in the mood for a physics puzzle.

I heard them before I saw them. Mello was yelling at Near that he'd heard enough and to get out of our room. I slipped my Gameboy into my pocket, hovering outside the door unseen, listening.

"I don't care how much you want to be my friend. It's obviously _not_ going to happen any time soon so get your pasty white ass out of my room!" I held in a snort. That was along the lines of what I'd predicted to myself about Mello's reaction to Near's declaration of unrequited friendship.

I had to strain to hear Near's quiet monotone. "I know I'll never become the one closest to you, or the one you can tell anything to. I respect that that is Matt's place and I'll leave that be." I stiffened. _Don't you fucking dare._ "You are his, not mine." _Fuck!_

I could hear the sound of the wheels of a swivel chair as Mello shoved himself around to look at Near, followed by the squeak of him standing up. "Matt said that?" Though I _had_ been ready to tackle Near from behind, I paused and hung back, curious. "He said that I'm… _his?_"

"Yes. He said, 'I don't care how nice you are under your lack of emotion, he's still mine.' But he told me not to tell you he said that. He also told me to be open and to not keep secrets," Near went on, socially awkward as ever. I silently cursed my own words, barely resisting from slamming my head into the wall behind me.

The silence was almost palpable as Mello chewed over what Near had just told him before chuckling a little. "Get out." He sat down again and scooted across the floor, presumably back to his desk.

Before Near could open the only partially closed door, I slid back against the wall a few steps, slipping into the room beside us. I waved at Finch, who was in there doodling away, urging him to keep quiet as I listened to Near's soft padded footsteps echoed down the hallway. Only when they became inaudible did I drop my hand and sigh. "Thanks." I left before he could ask any questions.

I bopped into my room as if I hadn't heard a thing. Mello stopped his note-transcribing mid-word, staring at the page before him as I walked in behind him, dropping my things by my own desk before rolling onto my bottom bunk with a sigh.

He tapped his pen against his paper thoughtfully before dropping it and turning to face me, something of a troubled look in his eyes. "Hey Matt," he began, though I already knew what it would be about. And it wasn't chocolate bars this time, that was for sure.

"Hm?" I craned my neck back, looking up at him at his desk at the end of my bed. "What?"

"Did you tell Near that I'm yours?" _Welp, that didn't take him long._

"Uh…" I couldn't decide what I wanted to say, instead just blurting out an affirmative, "Yeah."

Mello just hummed under his breath before rising and striding across the room. He clicked the door closed quietly and turned to look at me. "What does that mean?"

_Decision time, Red._ I rolled off the bed and to my feet, looking him in the eye, though he was several inches taller than me. "It means that you're my best friend and my best friend only. Near's got no place in this," I gestured between us, grinning slyly.

"Oh."

Though one not normally listening to the blonde's groaning and griping over Near and how unfair the grading system was wouldn't pick up on the hint of disappointment in his voice, I did. "Well…" I started, catching his attention as he moved back to his homework, "I guess it could also mean that you're just mine in every way and that nobody can ever steal you from me." Mello's eyebrows scrunched together, curious. I continued before he could open his mouth to ask any more, "It means I love you." My heart jumped to my throat as I uttered those three words—three words I swore I wouldn't say until after Wammy's House. But now, at just over fourteen? I guess I couldn't wait anymore.

He stopped, completely forgetting his tentative step toward his homework. It took him almost a full ten seconds for his brain to comprehend what I'd just said and to mutter a dumbstruck, "W-what?"

I just shrugged. There was nothing more I could really say on the topic. "I love you" may be overused by the rest of the population, but it took those almost five years of friendship for me to even think about saying them. And now that I had, everything I've felt over the years was inadequately expressed in three words. I just couldn't find more words to explain it further.

I watched as the cogs turned within Mello's head. "Oh, uh…" _What I wouldn't give to be able to hear his thoughts right about now._ "I—" This was the absolute one and only time I had heard Mello speechless. _Note the date and time._

Throwing his hands up in the air, Mello just growled. As his hands came down, they grabbed my forearms, pulling me into an aggressive kiss. I felt my face go from "never seen the sun" to "need some aloe?" in a millisecond flat. I guess you could say I wasn't quite expecting that reaction. I welcomed it nonetheless, pressing my lips back against his.

He pulled away from me with a strained effort, as if he were being held to me with a magnet. He looked at me long enough to muster up a breath to say, "I love you too," and pull me into another kiss, which I couldn't help but grin all the way through.

Near ain't got _nothin' _on me.

* * *

**A/N:** I am super-sorry for not being around. Although, I have to admit, this story was supposed to be a November project only... *shrugs* It's still fun, so though I'll be working on other projects and playing basketball and everything now, I'll try my best to give you guys a chapter or two every now and then. ;3 I'm not quite sure when I'll end this, but I think you'll know it when I do. ;) I have a special chapter in store for the final installment.

In any case, I've got a new poll up on my profile! :D You should vote on it; it actually _does_ decide something for me. A something you won't see until April, but all in due time, my friends.

I really hope you enjoyed this chapter, as I know _I_ did. :3 Thanks so much for reading and reviewing, too!

~Rachel


	20. Everything's Better

_Dong! Dong! Dong!_ The deep reverberation of the twelve bells signifying noontime were only a rumble in Mello's chest as he made his way through the halls of Wammy's House. The clock tower was a permanent part of life at the orphanage, keeping the kids on time. Twelve consecutive bells signaled noontime, and noontime signaled the end of the fifth class of the day: the start of lunch hour. The blonde boy planned on dropping his books in his room before sweeping by the cafeteria to see what slop was being served that day.

He fumbled with his key, almost getting it stuck in the lock before the tumblers finally aligned. He pushed the door open with his hip as he shrugged the backpack from his shoulder, preparing to toss it at his desk's chair and leave.

Before Mello could hurl about fifteen pounds of books in that general direction, the image of his redheaded roommate registered in his eyes. He caught himself just before he let his bag fly, instead shouldering it again as he hovered in the hallway.

Matt heard the door open and pushed himself across the floor with a gleeful, "Mello!" The blonde took a step back, protecting his feet from the treacherous wheels.

Mello could only give an aggravated sigh at the striped boy's energy and enthusiasm. "What do you want? You know lunch is up, right?"

"Yeah, yeah, I was just waiting for you." He stood up, ambling slowly closer and closer, until his figure completely blocked the doorway. Mello eyed him from just a few feet away, the frame of the open door standing as a barrier between them. Matt just smirked, as if he was holding back a bigger, toothy smile, as he flicked his eyes upward in a wordless indicator to Mello to look up.

_Mistletoe._

Mello just stared at the bunch of leaves, tied together and thumb-tacked to the white, wooden frame. His eyes slowly traveled back down to Matt, whose grin had cranked up to a full-on beam. The blonde's serious, indifferent expression cracked, a smirk playing at the corners of his mouth. Eagerly, Matt bounced onto his tiptoes, pursing his lips cheekily.

_Smack!_

_ "Ow!_"

"I'll ask one more time: why did you feel the need to punch Matt in the nose?" Ms. Reyvine, Wammy's school nurse, pleaded with the blonde, who was holding a cold pack over his aching knuckles.

Mello just shrugged. "He was being an idiot."

Matt whined a nasally whine, holding a bigger ice pack over his nose, tears still clinging to the corners of his goggled eyes. No words were formed—or at least, no audibly understandable ones. Mello just glared at the redhead, clenching his teeth silently.

Ms. Reyvine just sighed, returning to her office to finish filling out the paperwork for their little incident. "You've got to learn to keep your hands to yourself, Mello."

As the nurse's heels clicked rhythmically down the hallway, Matt and Mello eyed each other from their respective sides of the bench, waiting for Roger to show up to administer whatever punishment would be in order for the blonde's behavior.

Before he could arrive, however, Matt mumbled something behind his ice pack, "You didn't have to punch me, yanno."

Mello could barely hold back a snort at his nasally tone. "Oh come on, at least I didn't _break_ it. You're actually pretty lucky."

The redhead just crossed one arm under the other that was holding the pack with a resigned _humph._ "I take it as you _don't_ like me, then." He spoke low, almost incomprehensible between his toilet-paper-stuffed bloody nose and the ice pack.

With a sigh, Mello scooted across the bench, closer to his goggled roommate. "Let me see your nose." Raising an eyebrow suspiciously, Matt didn't move. Mello just grabbed at his wrist. "Come on, I wanna see how bad that bruise is gonna be."

Reluctantly, Matt brought his hand down from his nose. It was swollen across the bridge to the size of a bright red cherry, his skin already melting from its scarlet shade to a plum purple. He scowled at Mello, growling under his breath.

"Sheesh. I punched you harder than I thought."

"You don't s—"

Matt's eyes almost bulged from his head when he felt Mello's lips atop his. Still, he didn't waste the opportunity and quickly melted into him, pressing back against his kiss.

_Mwah!_ Mello pulled back, smirking at his now completely bright red roommate, both of their cheeks flushed with embarrassment. Matt cleared his throat. "Ouch."

* * *

**A/N:** Whoopsies, I kind of disappeared on you guys! I'm sorry! I had mentioned that this story would become less of a priority, but I still feel bad for leaving you all without an update for a month now. So, you'll probably end up with a few more holiday themed chapters that I began writing, but didn't get a chance to finish because of my suddenly insanely busy schedule. ;D

Happy holidays and a happy New Year to you all! Thanks so much for reading! :)

~Rachel


	21. Tell Me, Where is Gandalf?

"COME ON COME ON COME ON COME ON WE'RE GOING TO BE LATE."

Mello just rolled his eyes, dragging his feet even more as the redhead bounced around him like a puppy on a sugar high. "Matt, we pre-ordered the tickets. We're already sneaking in three boxes of Buncha Crunch and Hershey Drops. Hell, you _reserved seats in the center of the theater._ It doesn't matter if we miss the preview for Star Trek." He strolled along, hands in his pockets, not exactlyexcited to have to sit through the next three hours in a theater packed with geeks and fan- girls and boys. But, he decided it'd be best to accompany his best-slash-boy- friend anyway, just in case he spontaneously burst into flames from a nerd overload. He rationalized it as a good deed that would have to be paid back later.

"Does it _look _like I give a fuck?! Hop to it!" The bouncing redhead slapped his boyfriend's ass as he pranced around him, racing to open the door of the theater ahead of him. "To Isengard! To Isengard!"

Mello slapped his palm against his forehead, forming his hands into tensed claws. He glared up at the overcast sky as he silently growled, "_Why."_ He reluctantly dragged his feet after his bouncing boyfriend, violently cursing the creator of Pixie Stix within his head.

Matt, tickets already in hand, strolled through the theater at a high-speed walk. "Let's go let's go let's gooooo!"

The ticket checker at the head of the cinema gave him a smile that Mello thought could only belong to a fellow geek. As he took Matt's proffered tickets, he tore off the stubs and said, "Door just closed." He nodded to the theater just behind the podium he was standing at. He gave a pleasant smile, even as the scowling Mello shuffled by. "Fly, you fools!"

The ginger saluted the employee before he ducked into the first door, a lit-up sign hanging down above the frame proclaiming, "The Hobbit."

In the darkness of the theater, Matt grabbed Mello's hand and chauffeured him into the two seats with a "Reserved" sign taped to them at the far end of the center row. Matt dished out apologies as he shuffled by the first few people in the row before plopping down gratefully in the first seat, Mello taking the second.

The mostly full theater fell completely silent as the notable background music began to play. Mello settled in, leaning against his wall, dreading the torture that would be the next three hours. Matt helped himself to the Buncha Crunch hidden inside his boyfriend's coat, munching on them excitedly, his goggled eyes wide as he stared at the huge projection.

Mello watched as Matt shifted into one hundred percent dork mode, absolutely glued to the movie. Every now and then, the blonde would actually focus on the movie, but for the most part, he dozed and daydreamed, until three grueling hours finally passed.

As the dragon's eye snapped open on the huge screen, the movie ended just like that, and the lights went up. Matt, physically bouncing in his seat, turned to Mello, who was still conked out from the excessive length of the movie. Without wasting a moment, the Lord of the Rings enthusiast launched himself over the armrest, kissing Mello awake.

With a startled jerk, the blonde snapped his eyes open. He _would_ have pulled his head away, but unfortunately, Matt had his head backed up against the seat, and it was almost impossible to move back. With a quite audible _smack_, Matt jumped to his feet, collecting up the boxes of his snacks.

Mello groggily rose, wiping his mouth free of the saliva his boyfriend happened to leave behind on his lips with a grimace. With a tired mumble of "_finally," _the Mafia boss dragged himself to a standing position, following as Matt bounced out of the theater in the midst of the crowd of people.

When the blonde finally caught up with his redhead counterpart, they were already outside, walking along the sidewalk of the plaza toward a small family-owned pizza joint for lunch. Matt skipped ahead as he sang joyously:

"Breaking silence with my games too

A little lamb and the words "I knew"

Listening to me and being straaaaaaaaight!

_That's_ what boyfriend Mello hates!"

"Damn straight," Mello commented, smirking at Matt's impromptu parody of the dwarves' song from early on in the movie. Matt beamed, circling back to hold Mello's hand until they pushed through the doors of the pizza joint, placing a quick order for a Hawaiian pizza.

Together, they slid into opposite sides of their usual booth. Matt smirked, folding his fingers neatly atop the checkered surface between them. "So, what did _you_ think of the movie?" The redhead could scarcely contain himself, still beaming from the immaculate experience of having _finally _watched The Hobbit, albeit not on opening night as he would have liked.

Mello just shrugged. "It was alright, I guess. I liked the riddle scene with Smeagol."

Matt smiled pleasantly, as if waiting for more. When he finally realized, almost a full uncomfortable minute later that the single comment was all his boyfriend had to say about the movie, he unfolded his hands, pressing his palms against the cool table. "That's _it? _Just 'alright?'"

The blonde gave another shrug, picking sourly at the edge of the table. "I don't like Lord of the Rings or really anything from that world. You should know that by now."

The Tolkien fanatic drew his hands up to pull at his hair, frustrated, before slapping them down on the table again. "That's not _possible!_ I fucking kissed you the first time we watched Return of the King together! It was our _first kiss, _induced by nothing other than Lord of the Rings. How can you say you don't like it?!" The redhead was _outraged, _seething not-so quietly across the table.

Mello only raised his eyebrows, confusion flickering over his face. "First off, that could have been any other movie. But second, _I _kissed _you. _The next morning, after you fell asleep on my bed."

"Yeah, but I kissed _you_ first. You were dead asleep. The _movie_," he emphasized, "put you to sleep. It couldn't have been just _any_ movie to set you to bed." At Mello's uncaring eyeroll, Matt added surely, "I totally came out to you before you came out to me."

"No you didn't." Mello brushed off his claim nonchalantly, not believing him for even a second. "I would have woken up. You _know _I sleep like a mouse. Even if I _had_ been asleep, that wouldn't count as 'coming out.' You were actually conscious when I kissed you." The blonde set up a hard case, one that Matt found himself glaring across the table, trying to decide on how to reply.

He decided on shrugging. "I don't care. I _know_ I kissed you first."

"I _still_ don't think you did. I came out to you first."

Matt just folded his arms, staring at the ugly flowery wallpaper beside him. He completely ignored his boyfriend, as if he hadn't spoken at all.

Mello narrowed his eyes curiously, sitting in an awkward silence as Matt pouted. Finally, when Mello grew tired of the lack of conversation, he sighed, conceding. "Okay, fine."

There was still no reaction from Matt. He only picked at a piece of the wallpaper that was starting to peel off.

"I admit it."

Still nothing.

"I really was awake."

Matt only sighed to cover up any sort of reaction he may or may not have had, turning his head the other way to stare in the direction of the bathrooms.

"I was _faking,_" Mello sighed again, patting Matt's arm to try to get his attention.

Matt only scratched the back of his head, sniffing.

Mello gave one last exasperated sigh and finally conceded, "You came out first."

There was a short pause before the corner of Matt's mouth twitched upward. He turned and lunged over the table and attaching himself to his boyfriend's lips, grinning all the while. They pulled apart, Matt exclaiming a short, happy, "Mwah!" The redhead smiled innocently at Mello for a moment before whispering with a gleeful bounce of his eyebrows, "Victory!"

* * *

**A/N: **SHEESH. Week before midterms is kickin' my ass! As is all of our inconveniently scheduled basketball games. -_- That being said, I probably won't update again until after next Thursday. Maybe sooner if you guys are lucky and I procrastinate. ;3

I know this doesn't necessarily follow the main idea of this fic, but it's a continuation and I've been looking forward to this since my reviewer "Jennifer Miller" gave me the idea. Thanks a lot, and this one's for you! :D

I'm off to go shoot some hoops!

Hope you enjoyed, and thanks so much for reading and reviewing, too!

~Rachel


	22. Chemistry Cat

It was a quiet afternoon on Wammy's House campus. Dinner had just ended and most of the students, graced with full bellies, were lounging comfortably around the orphanage, working on their homework for the evening.

Mello was no different from the rest, scribbling down answers to his chemistry homework, his eyes darting between the notebook before him, his textbook, and the simulation displayed on his laptop before him. He sighed, setting down his pencil as he completed the first section of the chapter.

Across the room, his roommate, Matt, was lying face-down on the bottom bunk, playing around with the simulation. He swung the molecule around, watching as it swung back to its original position between two electric fields. At Mello's sigh, he glanced up, dropping the highly polar bent molecule.

Mello inhaled, asking somewhat disinterestedly, "If you were an element, what would you be?"

Matt raised one eyebrow, glancing at the period table of elements atop his much abandoned notebook. "Hmmm…" He mused for a moment, thinking about the possibilities. So many to choose from… Without much more than ten second's contemplation, the redhead nodded, stating surely, "Hydrogen."

The blonde's face scrunched up. "_Hydrogen?_ A hundred and eighteen elements and you pick fucking _hydrogen?_ Why?!"

He sat up, his red hair just barely brushing the bunk above him. "First of all, I'm number one," He smirked, before Mello's icy glare wiped it from his face. He cleared his throat, resuming, "I can get along with pretty much _everyone._ And I'm_ insanely_ important to everything in the world."

"But—" Mello cut himself off, exhaling. He almost couldn't comprehend the pure conceit and frighteningly true words spewing from his roommate's mouth. He struggled for a reason for him to choose a more unique element, eventually sputtering out, "But you're so antisocial! Hydrogen barely exists on its own."

Matt only shrugged, smirking. "I can always bond with myself."

Mello sat back in his chair, staring at the slowly revolving nonpolar molecule on the screen of his laptop. "What do you think I'd be, then?" He asked absently, still somewhat captivated by the simulation.

"Fluorine." The redhead replied almost without hesitation. Before he could be asked to explain himself, he was already speaking, "You're a halogen. Extremely reactive, just like your temper. You desperately want to become one of the noble gases—the best on the periodic table. You're willing to steal an electron from almost any other element to achieve that."

He hummed thoughtfully, sitting back in his chair as he took in Matt's description of him. He tapped his pencil on his lip, chewing absently on the worn-down eraser. "…Well _fuck._ I really can't argue with that."

Matt shrugged, grinning cheekily. "It's all true! I mean, you can bond with yourself, too. I mean, you don't exactly have many friends around here either. Fuck yeah for diatomic molecules!"

"Alright, you're going a little far with the chemistry jokes."

"Do you really want to go there?" The gamer sat up a little straighter, the challenge already deeply ingrained in his mind. His imagination started churning.

Mello's eyes narrowed. "Don't you dare."

"Did you hear that oxygen asked out magnesium?"

"Matt, _stop."_ He threw the pencil in his fingers at the desk before him.

"Like, OMg!"

"I _fucking swear._" Mello straightened in his chair, gripping the arms threateningly.

"You definitely must be made of copper and tellurium."

Mello leaped out of the chair, tackling his roommate full-on. Matt couldn't help but giggle all the while until they ended up rolling around the floor. The blonde finally managed to straddle his best friend's hips, holding him down by the wrists with one hand as he threatened to deck him in the face with the other. Matt just bit his tongue to quell his laughter, piping our daringly, "Because you're CuTe."

The blonde paused, a confused expression flashing across his face. He pulled Matt up by the shirt, his lip twitching angrily. "What was that?"

"Cute. You know, C-U for copper and T-E for tellurium. Cute. _Chemistry_ humor, Mel!" Despite his incredibly vulnerable position, Matt still managed to joke around, just _begging _for a punch in the nose.

Mello only slammed him down on the ground, crawling off of him. "Ha-ha," he grumbled angrily, returning to his desk.

Matt stood up, brushing himself off as nonchalantly as one could. He swiped his striped T-shirt with the back of his hand, ridding it of the dust from the floor. "What, is big bad Mello a bit chagrined by being called 'cute?'" The hacker prodigy did not know just when to shut up. Even if he did, he'd still have ignored it, but pushing at his roommate's buttons only made them grow closer in the end. Of course, that was probably due to the physical proximity of Mello's fist as it connected with Matt's cheekbones, usually.

This was different. Mello flopped down in his chair, the springs protesting under his weight. He folded his arms stubbornly and refused to answer, his lower lip tucked into his mouth childishly.

Matt tiptoed up behind him, surreptitiously sliding his arms around the blonde's neck. "Oh come _on._ You have to admit—you're adorable."

Mello only rolled his eyes, otherwise ignoring the kid hanging off his shoulders.

"You know, hydrogen and fluorine bond. Really easily. I know you know that." The corner of his mouth twitched upward as he felt the chocoholic tense slightly under his grasp. He planted a kiss on the blonde's cheek quickly, falling back into the center of the room, pacing aimlessly.

Mello's eyes bugged out so far they almost exceeded his skull's capacity. "Did you just fucking _kiss_ me?" His chair whipped around, meeting the redhead's sight, his arms tucked behind his head thoughtfully as he mused up at the ceiling.

He completely ignored Mello's question. "I think hydrofluoric acid is one of the coolest chemicals_ ever._ I mean, come on, we're a deadly fucking poison!" It was as if the blonde hadn't even questioned Matt's out-of-the-ordinary gesture.

Piqued, Mello rose from his chair and in one fluid motion, whacked Matt right in the ribs with the back of his hand. "_Earth to Matt_," he enunciated, watching as the redhead's hands flew to his side, sure there was going to be a bruise there later. Matt glanced up at him nervously, still rubbing his ribs. "Is it just me or did you just conveniently slip out of the closet?"

"Well, not _literally, _but metaphorically speaking…" At Mello's icy warning stare, Matt trailed off. He cleared his throat, trying again. "Uh, yeah. Surprise?" He gave a nervous smile and a shrug.

"Well, get the fuck back in there!" Mello jabbed a finger to nowhere in particular, gesturing to the imaginary closet.

Matt, a slightly confused look on his face, just looked around the room, barely moving. He replied guardedly, drawing out his syllables, perplexed. "Uhh... A: I can't. B: Why?" He raised one eyebrow at his roommate, his face flushing under that icy blue gaze.

Mello pursed his lips childishly. "So I can fucking snog your face off with no one looking." He fisted the T-shirt of his roommate again, bringing him up to the taller boy's lips. It was a rough, rudimentary kiss, one of inexperience and gruff awkwardness. The thick ice shattered, however, soon after Matt wrapped his arms around his roommate. He pulled them together, grinning wildly through the simple smooch.

The blonde pulled back first, face dusted with pink, beaming as well. Matt smiled eagerly back at him, sighing almost dreamily. "I've been waiting for that longer than the half-life of uranium-238."

* * *

**A/N: **In case you're wondering, the half-life of uranium-238 is 4.468 billion years. Give or take.

Ayyyy, I have returned from the depths of the basketball-and-midterms-induced abyss! Part of my absence was just that - basketball and midterms - but another half was this extremely annoying writer's block. So, I kind of just shoved my way through his chapter because I loved the topic so much, and I think I can feel those creative juices flowing again.

Happy birthday to our most wonderful dearest redhead, Mattie!

Due to my spontaneous absence, you'll likely get at least one or two chapters based on the date January 26th, as well as possibly a Matt's birthday special. :)

Thanks so much for reading, and I really hope to talk to you all again soon!

~Rachel


	23. Twin Spirits

**_January 26, 2013_**

The silence was just _too_ perfect. I'd have had to been even more of a self-absorbed douche bag than I already was to break it. So instead of striking up a nonchalant conversation with my best friend sitting across the room from me, I picked at my fingernails, mourning the death of the batteries of my Gameboy.

Then again, it would be kind of difficult to make small talk with the prospect of the next day looming over our heads. It was like one of those cartoon-esque storm clouds, just hanging there, hoping to intimidate whomever it haunted. Only a brief interchange between us would spark mention of our suicide mission tomorrow. Thunder would roll and those storm clouds would open fire.

I couldn't help but ruminate in the relative silence of the flat we shared of the life I've led so far. It would start and end with the blonde man across from me. We were both so different from when we met, but at the same time, not a thing had changed.

_"I'm Mello,"_ He stuck his hand out to greet me, his new roommate, on my very first day at Wammy's House. "_Don't touch my stuff,"_ was the most amiable greeting he could come up with after that.

To this day, I dare not even rifle through his sock drawer.

After that, we were always together. I followed him around like the loyal puppy I was. He didn't mind at all, and soon we were rarely, if ever, seen apart. It was as if we were joined at the hip. I even followed him to the library to study for midterms and finals, just because I knew he would overstress himself. I wanted to be the one there to make him relax, laugh at a nerd joke about the "sines" of madness, and regain focus on studying instead of beating Near, his only close competitor for top of the class.

There was a while there when he wasn't around for me, though. Five _fucking_ years, to be exact. Mello decided to just pack up his bags and leave after finding out about the real L's death (which technically I'm not supposed to know). I remember in vivid detail walking into my room to see him with his head in his hands, shoulder-length blonde hair falling around his eyes. For once, the stoic kid I grew up with had broken down. Tears streamed down his face that he tried to hide as I wordlessly sat beside him on my bed and held him.

And then he left, barely a goodbye to be heard. I think he was too afraid that if he opened his mouth to speak again, his voice would crack and he'd start crying again. Just as well, I figure now. I probably would have, too. After all, we'd lived together for seven years by then. Half of our lives dedicated to not killing each other while inhabiting the same small area.

For five years, my best friend dropped off the face of the earth. I didn't know where, exactly, he went. I searched for him only on the first anniversary of his abandonment of Wammy's. I didn't find anything, and I knew right then that I never would. So I stopped looking, and tried to ignore the half of my person that had cut itself out of me.

Needless to say, it didn't work.

Which is why, after such a long time for twin spirits to be apart, I welcomed him with open arms when he called, requesting my assistance. He'd blown himself to kingdom come, and I was there to pick up the pieces. And I mean that as literally as I possibly can. The scar that was left from his devastation of the Mafia headquarters marred his previously perfect complexion. He was afraid that I'd be repelled from him, and it took about two weeks for him to finally accept that he could look like any fucking pile of shit you find on the side of the street, and I'd still love him in any case.

We were best friends.

I wanted to be more than that.

Even now, on that final night before our death day, my chest ached when I thought that I was going to die without letting the one person I loved more than anything know that I felt the way I did. We'd go out on that mission to bring down the infamous Kira, and we would fall, but we would fall together. Maybe not _together_ in the way I might have wanted to be, but it was good enough for me.

I frowned at the ground, glimpsing at Mello surreptitiously from the corner of my eye. Some days, I thought he could read my mind, but then I realize that we have known each other since we were just seven years old. Almost thirteen years of friendship should yield _some_ ability to read each other. Still, I was afraid he could hear me and my homosexual musings. The thought lasted for only a moment before I gave a sardonic sneer to my own mind and sniffed quietly.

The clicking of Mello's fingers on the keyboard of stopped as he sat back, sighing. I watched him, his usually clear crystal blue eyes clouded with something—worry, but I knew he would never admit to it. His gaze didn't leave the computer before he leaned in again, scanning something I couldn't see from the angle he was sitting.

I looked back to my fingers. They were slightly calloused at the tips from the years of my computer hacking and gaming. I rubbed the thin, light red fuzz on the back of my palms, contemplating my course of action.

I'd die the next day. I was sure of it. And what was I spending my final night doing? Sulking about the severe lack of AA batteries in the apartment. _What a fucking sorry waste of flesh. At least _do_ something before you die, _I thought sourly.

A thought flashed through my head. Without thinking twice—because if I had, I _definitely _would have changed my mind—I stood abruptly, slipping around the edge of the coffee table between the couches we had been seated on. Mello looked up, a questioning look on his face. Before he could even ask what I was doing, I buried a fist in the collar of his vest and lifted him up just far enough for me to plant one on him.

It was only a quick kiss. I dropped him, and he caught himself with an arm rooted to the couch behind him. He blinked in surprise, a look of plain bewilderment slapped onto his face. I stood there, stony-faced, as I waited for his expression to melt into something else. Just what, I had no clue what I expected.

At last, he managed to stutter, "W-what the flying _fuck_?"

I swallowed. The moment of truth. "It was a kiss, not a fuck." _I mean, if you waaaant,_ I thought to myself, hiding a smirk. I kept my expression even and blank, not betraying the absolutely nerve-wracking suspense within me that sent adrenaline and dread coursing through my veins.

Mello's mouth hung open for a moment before he exclaimed, "Well I fucking _got _that. The question is, why?!" He pushed himself to a sitting position, his rather _fine_ ass perched on the edge of the brown leather couch. He extended a finger, pushing his laptop further onto the coffee table.

"Come on, Mel. You're a smart boy." I tapped him lightly on the head, a quirk to my lips finally showing through. "Put the pieces together."

I could almost see the gears inside his head start to work, the cogs all turning in sync to formulate the most probable explanation. He wrinkled his brow for a moment before his face relaxed and he grabbed me by the neck of my striped T-shirt, crushing my lips back against his wordlessly. I smirked atop his mouth, climbing over him easily to relieve the odd angle he'd dragged me to.

After we hungrily chomped at each other's lips for a minute or two, Mello pulled away ever so slightly, head tilted to the side, and murmured, "Finished the puzzle." He dove in again, this time slipping our tongues almost simultaneously over the threshold of our mouths and into each other's. I held myself just above him, reveling in the bliss of requited love.

When my arms tired from holding up my body weight, I sunk down onto Mello, breaking away from his lips as I laid my head against his chest. Our communication was lacking words for now—we were lost within our own imaginings as to just _how the fuck_ did we go from sitting silently in our respective corners as best friends, to sticking our tongues down each other's throats?

"So," Mello began, dropping a hand over my back. I held my breath, almost afraid of what he was going to say. Then again, it _had_ to be good. I don't think he would have thrown himself at me like he did if it wasn't. He continued, "I might regret asking this but…" I could hear his heart flutter beneath his ribs against my ear. "Is this a 'we're-going-to-die-so-let's-have-some-fun' thing? Or, did you actually…?" He trailed off.

I took a hesitant breath, "I _actually…_" I trailed off too, not knowing what to say. What does one say in a situation like that? "I've fucking adored you since we were little." I spoke that first thought aloud, turning my face against his vest. "Though, I figured, if we're going to die, I at least wanted you to know."

He gave a breath of laughter, kissing the top of my head. "So was this a better outcome than you expected?"

"Well, this is what I'd _hoped_ for but I sure as hell didn't expect it." I pushed against the couch cushion below me, sitting up. "What about _you?"_

Mello mirrored me, his eyes falling to his legs and feet as he pulled them up and under him. He was silent for a moment before he rubbed the old scar on the left side of his face, leaning against the back of the couch. "I never should have left you."

I looked down at my hands again, clearing my throat. "Not like I'm disagreeing, but that didn't really answer my question."

He nodded slowly, averting his eyes. "No, but it wasn't until after that that I realized it."

` "Ah."

Mello was silent again, and I saw his Adam's apple bob as he swallowed, glancing down to the carpet beside him. He drew a long breath, holding it for a moment before he let it out, asking quickly, "Can we go cuddle?"

I couldn't help but snort. I mean, _come on,_ it was _Mello_ of all people asking to cuddle. The big bad Mafia boss asked to _cuddle_ with me! His eyes narrowed at the escape of my laugh, snarling quickly, "Laugh again and I will kill you now so you don't have to wait till tomorrow."

I cleared my throat, nodding. "Understood." I hopped to my feet, waving at Mello behind me to join me as I slipped into his bedroom. The full-sized bed took up most of the room, with the addition of two nightstands, a chest of drawers, and the door to his much neglected closet. I climbed under the black blankets, my blonde best friend following quickly in suit after shedding his vest.

He wrapped his arms around my torso, snuggling in comfortably to my chest. It was odd to think about how comfortable we'd always been with each other, but we'd never even thought about doing something like this—just holding each other for no real reason, reveling in the body heat between us, chatting quietly between us. No sobbing, no imminent abandonment.

"Your timing sucks," Mello murmured against the fabric of my striped shirt.

"Yeah, I know." My voice rasped back, my eyes not twitching from their closed position. "Better than nothing though, right?"

"Matt, we get _twelve fucking hours_ together."

"Well," I paused, twining my legs around Mello's, "You could've called me sooner."

"Or just not have left."

"Or taken me with you." Mello snorted at that, and I opened one eye. A smile threatened at the corner of his mouth. I wrinkled my brow, feigning a pout. "What? Was that idea _really _that crazy?"

He hesitated for a second, before breathing a laugh and saying between us, "Nah, I was just imagining us as Bonnie and Clyde. Partners in crime. Fucking all the way."

I snorted. I couldn't help but chuckle at that thought. "Only if I get to be Clyde."

"You're lucky I love you or I'd probably knee you in the balls right now."

I tightened my grip on his legs slightly, cringing at the thought. "You'd make a cute Bonnie."

"Well," Mello stopped to laugh, pulling away from me for a moment to regain his composure. He flopped back on the bed, arm outstretched away from me as he cackled at his own imagination. "I'll tell you what. Next Halloween, we can be Bonnie and Clyde together. Deal?"

I laughed under my breath, my throat tightening with realization. We wouldn't _have _another Halloween together. Anything we wanted to do, anything we wanted to be—we'd have to be before noon tomorrow. It was more than just a fucking joke—but that's all we could make of it. What, exactly, is the proper reaction to staring mortality in the face?

I swallowed hard, dissolving the lump that was steadily forming. I blinked and cleared my throat, doing my best to ignore the mist that gathered in the corner of my eye.

"Deal."

* * *

**A/N:** Sheesh, sorry this took so long. Good news though - the basketball season's over next week, so I'll actually have a bit of that crazy thing called _time_ to actually work on the multitude of ideas I have for this, as well as another fic you'll hopefully see in about two or three months!

Anyway, I really hope you enjoyed this chapter! It's kind of sad and humorous at the same time. Sorry if they seem a bit out of character; I kind of felt it a bit as I was reading it through, but I like how it came out, so here it is!

Thank you all for reading and reviewing!

~Rachel


	24. Elbow Room

"Make sure you're writing this down—I'm collecting your notes for a grade at the end of class," Mrs. Anderson reminded the collection of students. Most were already studiously scribbling, except for one specific kid sitting in the back of the room. When Matt looked up from his GameBoy, he was met with a chiding glare from his Biology teacher, and he reluctantly picked up his pencil, starting to copy down the rudimentary illustration of the digestive system on the blackboard in his messy lefty scrawl.

Beside him, his best friend and roommate Mello sat. He neatly labeled each part of his diagram in his notebook, his writing neat, legible, and consist—_Fuck!_

Mello dropped his eyebrows, turning his head to glower at the redhead sitting beside him. His rapid drawing sent his elbow jostling as he hurried, before they moved onto the next topic of the day. Angrily, the blonde boy elbowed back, his pencil flipping in the fingers of his right hand as he scrubbed the stray mark from his paper.

"Hey!" Matt whisper-yelled, shooting a glance to Mello. "What was that for?" He bumped back, a grimace set on his lips as he too went to erase his mistake.

"You _bumped_ me," Mello replied, his voice low and severe.

Matt just shrugged, murmuring an apology. _Doesn't have to make it sound like I murdered his firstborn child or something, _he thought bitterly, returning to his doodle of a duodenum. Again, his elbow started shifting back and forth with each stroke of graphite, and again, it rammed into his roommate's with every motion.

Mello slammed down his pencil and stood up. Mrs. Anderson frowned in his general direction, barely managing a sharp, "_Mello, sit down!"_before the blonde took matters into his own hands.

His hands gripped the shoulders of his best friend's loose T-shirt and dragged him from his seat, plopping him down in Mello's original seat. He quickly exchanged their papers and books, sitting back down with a _thump_ as he returned to his notes, now uninhibited by Matt's lefty elbow.

The whole class stared for a moment before shrugging, looking back to the front board as the next slide was shown.

Mello scribbled, fast and furious, keeping up easily with the notes as slide after slide went by. Sometime throughout the class, he dropped his left hand, grabbing at Matt's hanging in exactly the same place. The redhead, with a nervous gulp, glanced at the blonde out of the corner of his eye, terrified as to whether he should hold his hand back or not.

Mello answered that question for him, hissing quietly, "There was more than one reason for me moving you." He said nothing more for the rest of class. Matt could only gape openly at him. Still, he found his palm meeting Mello's beneath the desk, blushing easily as only a redhead could as he felt Mello squeeze back.

When a free moment finally crossed their pens, Matt scratched into the corner of his paper, ripping it off and sliding it over to Mello, "_Do you like me, or do you like me, like me?"_

Mello just rolled his blue eyes, pointedly circling the latter, a small grin on his face.

Matt couldn't hold back his beam as he felt another squeeze of his hand beneath the table.

* * *

**A/N: **WOW I've been gone for a while! I do truly apologize; I've been off working on an original work of mine and haven't found much time or inclination to continue the, oh, four or so chapters of this story I've got started. Luckily, I managed to _finally _finish this one today, albeit short.

In addition to original stories, I've also been working on another M&M-centric fanfiction which you should _hopefully_ see by the end of the month, or possibly the beginning of the next. If you like awkward high school situations and also baseball, I have a feeling you'll like this one. ;)

/shameless self-advertising

I sincerely hope you enjoyed! I'm not entirely sure about the next time I'll be updating this, but rest assured, it will happen eventually. ;)

Thanks so much for reading and reviewing, too!


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